[Explosive Advantage] Engaging in a Mental Battle with the Strongest Evil Spirit Since Birth, I Exceeded the Measurable Magic Limit – The Humble Conquest of the Cursed Child - Chapter 18

(…Ah, but seriously—killing’s a no-go, alright?)

{…A shame, but I understand.}

(Huh, he actually accepted that pretty easily… But I can’t let my guard down. If Douma ever goes berserk, I’ll stop him with everything I’ve got. I’ve been training for that moment ever since I was born. It’s not something I plan to show off, but if there’s one skill I can truly call my own—it’s that.)

(Alright then, Douma… go ahead. You can come out.)

{Oooooohh! After all this time…! My magic, unleashed at last!}

Douma sounded absolutely thrilled.

(This much should be the limit… just a trickle.)

Kai allowed Douma to release a mere fraction of his power.

It felt like slowly turning a faucet, letting just a thin stream of water pour out.

(Any more than this, and I’d risk getting mentally overtaken by him.)

Even in such a small dose, Douma’s mana was so refined, so dense, it sent a shiver down Kai’s spine.

And then—

Smack!
That sharp crack of a keisaku stick echoed again through the silent meditation chamber.

“Kyahhh!”

It was Ginzan Ame again—the same girl from before—crying out in pain.

“…W-what was that for this time?”

“You moved again, didn’t you?”

“N-no! I wasn’t moving at all…!”

“Just a little. Thiiis much.”

The instructor gestured by holding his index finger and thumb barely apart.

“…!”

Ame bit her lip in frustration.

“Hey, Lord Hyoudou… that’s enough,”

Another instructor tried to admonish the bullying one.

But at that moment—

“Ah…! H-hyaaaaahhh!”

The instructor named Hyoudou suddenly let out a strange shriek.

The room, named the Chamber of Silence for meditation, instantly stirred with unrest.

“Wh-what’s wrong, Lord Hyoudou!?”

The same instructor who had tried to stop him asked in a panic.

“T-the demon…! A demon’s right there…!”

Hyoudou fell on his backside, pointing in terror with wide eyes.

But—

“A… demon? There’s nothing there, is there?”

“No, I swear it—there’s a demon right there…! It came from the gate—right from the gate! You don’t see it, Kurita?!”

“The gate…? Oh… I see…”

Instructor Kurita tilted his head in confusion.

But Hyoudou saw it.

A ghastly demon, peeking through the grand gate with a wicked grin.

“Wh-what…! N-no way…! Aaaaaaaghhh!!”

With a bloodcurdling scream, Hyoudou bolted from the meditation chamber.

“W-wait, Hyoudou—?! What the hell…?”

Kurita stared, dumbfounded. Then he turned to the children and asked—

“…You all don’t see any demons, do you?”

The kids all nodded. “Nope, nothing here.”

Kai, the very perpetrator, also nodded innocently along with them.

In his mind, Douma muttered—

{Hmm… perhaps not quite a worthy enough target for my power…}

(Wow. So you can really do something that delicate, huh, Douma?)

{Huh?}

(I mean, cursing someone without anyone else noticing. That’s what you did, right?)

{Ahh, yes. It’s not easy—but for someone of my caliber, child’s play.}

Douma sounded smug beyond belief.

(Wow… that’s impressive.)

Kai genuinely meant it.

{Wh-what!? You’re… praising me…? Th-that’s quite bold of you, little Kai…}

Douma playfully snapped back, as though caught off guard by the compliment.

(Still… good thing you didn’t go too wild. That way, we don’t stand out.)

That thought brought Kai a sense of relief.

And then—

(Hmm…?)

“…!”

He noticed Ginzan Ame, who sat in front of him, had turned slightly to glance his way.

But when she realized he had seen her, she quickly looked away, turning back toward the front.

(…)

Nothing more came of it—at least, not for now.

◇

The next day—

“Alright, now we’ll begin mari-kickball training!”

The children had gathered in a small open field when Instructor Kurita addressed them.

“Alright, everyone—we’ll be playing mari-kickball next!”

““““Yaaaay!!””””

Excited cheers erupted from the group. Mari-kickball was apparently a favorite among the children during their daily activities.

“Mhm, mhm…”

Instructor Kurita nodded gently with a smile.

Kai had come to recognize three instructors so far.

One of them was this gentle-voiced Kurita, who often acted kindly and patiently.

Another was Hyoudou, who had made a fool of himself yesterday in front of the kids. Perhaps because of that, he seemed unusually quiet today. He’d mentioned before that he was a Class 3 Exorcist.

The last one’s name remained unknown. This instructor was always standing silently behind Kurita and Hyoudou.

Then Kurita continued,

“Now then, everyone—we’ll start with passing drills.”

Mari-watashi. In other words, passing the ball.

“Everyone, find a partner and form pairs.”

(Huh…?)

““““Okay!””””

The kids all quickly began pairing up.

(Ah… this isn’t good…)

“Let’s see… looks like the ones left are Kai-kun and… Miss Ame.”

(…!)

“I think this is both of your first times playing mari-kickball, right? Think you’ll be okay?”

“Ah, y-yes!”

Kai responded quickly, flustered.

As for Ame, she simply nodded once, silently.

Afterward, Kai made his way over to her.

“U-um… Ame-san, let’s do our best.”

“…Let’s.”

Ame was a girl who looked to be in the early years of elementary school.

She had sleek, shoulder-length black hair, and carried a melancholic, mature air uncharacteristic of her age. The shrine maiden-style uniform of Jakugoin suited her well. More than that, by most standards, she was undeniably beautiful.

“…Kai-kun.”

“Ah, yes?”

(She remembered my name…)

“You’re the vessel for Lord Douma, the demon god… right?”

“Uh, well… yes, I am.”

“…I see. That’s… incredible.”

“Huh—?! U-uhm… th-thank you…”

(…Wait, uh… what exactly is ‘incredible’ about it…?)

“Well then, shall we start?”

“Ah, y-yes!”

Kai and Ame stepped apart to put some distance between them.

Then, with a casual movement, Ame kicked the ball toward him.

“……!?”

(What the hell—!?)

The ball flew past Kai’s head like a bullet.

If he hadn’t instinctively tilted his neck at the last moment, his head might have gone flying—like a Dullahan from folklore.

“I’m so sorry, Kai-kun… I’ve never played mari-kickball before…”

“F-for someone new to this, that was quite a clean hit…”

(…No way that was a beginner’s kick… But… this girl—she’s really strong, isn’t she?)

Kai felt a spark of excitement.

He had just discovered someone who seemed to hold the kind of strength he could learn from—someone who might help him grow stronger.