The Pitiful System

"This system must have been adapted from some trashy gacha game..."

Akesato fiddled with another Z-Crystal Shard in his hand, his expression indescribably strange. He wanted to throw it away, yet couldn't bear to.

There were usually two words to describe something like this—

Useless trash.

"Sa~ sa~" Seeing that her master was in a bad mood, Gardevoir became unhappy too.

Akesato hurriedly comforted her. "It's not Little Sa's fault. It's the system's problem."

Today was the tenth day of Akesato's monster-grinding trip through Tokyo. He had been clearing one Map per day, and the results were hard to put into words.

It wasn't as though he had gained nothing.

But first, the Drop Rate was low. On average, it took two or three Maps to get a single Z-Crystal Shard.

Second, not a single one of those Shards was a duplicate.

Most infuriatingly, none of the Shards that had dropped so far could be used by Gardevoir.

And there was still no lead on how to obtain a Second Pokémon. Aside from a trashy gacha game that tricked players into both grinding and spending, Akesato couldn't think of any system so shameless.

He suddenly missed FGO and GBF a little. The former was casual enough to play in retirement, while the latter's management was generous, with all sorts of benefits that made people envious.

"Sa—" A fourth brand-new sound—sa, Japanese for "next."

Akesato had maxed out his Gardevoir language proficiency.

"Let's keep clearing Maps. Even if we don't get a Z-Crystal Shard you can use, gaining Levels won't be a loss."

After ten days of grinding, Gardevoir's Level had risen rapidly. She had already broken through Level 35 and learned brand-new Skills, further improving both her offense and defense.

If they returned to Yoshiwara Shrine now, there definitely wouldn't be any surprises.

It wasn't just her combat power that had improved, but also her understanding and control of battle. Don't forget—she had gained her Levels by grinding the same kind of Minor Monster for eight years, leaving her severely lacking in actual experience.

Although Akesato had always taught her related knowledge, theory on paper was not the same as practice.

The old Gardevoir had been more like a sheltered young lady hidden away from the world. Only now had she truly stepped through the doors of Battle.

Hearing Akesato say that, Gardevoir tugged at the corner of his clothes with one hand and pointed ahead with the other.

"You mean there are Cursed Spirits over there to grind?"

"Sa~ sa." She nodded, then shook her head.

Akesato was slightly puzzled. "Not just Cursed Spirits? Is there something else too?"

"Sa~" She nodded.

"Something good or bad?"

Gardevoir pointed at the Red Ornament on her chest, said to be the manifestation of her Heart.

"Something good, huh? Heh."

Akesato smiled. Although Gardevoir had yet to learn the ultimate Skill, Future Sight, she had already shown talent in that area.

That made him extremely grateful—grateful for the Luck Explosion of his First Draw. Even if he had terrible luck for a long time afterward, it would still be worth it.

Besides, there were only so many kinds of Z-Crystal Shards. If he kept grinding, he would eventually get one.

"Then let's go take a look. Oh, right, I should call Mom first and tell her I'll be home late today."

On the seventh day after moving into their new home, Akemi had given up on accompanying her son.

It was mainly because it was too disheartening.

She was the oldest, yet the weakest.

Even the experience she had been so proud of was useless before Gardevoir's absolute strength and Akesato's calm caution.

In the end, aside from casting the Curtain at the start to maintain concealment, there was nothing she needed to do.

Moreover, her presence never seemed to rise.

Akesato spoiled Gardevoir to an unusual degree. Whenever Gardevoir did anything noteworthy, Akesato would praise her, pat her head, hold her hand, or hug her. Gardevoir would be delighted too, and before they knew it, they would completely forget Mom was there.

Of course, as a mother, she didn't object to her son and daughter getting along well. But couldn't they at least consider their mother's feelings? The two of them made her seem completely unnecessary, didn't they?

Anyway, her Cursed Technique, Barrier Addition, allowed her to prepare a Barrier beforehand and release it when needed.

Although her Jujutsu Sorcerer Level limited her from deploying any high-grade Barriers, and the scale and duration of her Cursed Technique were both limited, Akesato wasn't someone who stayed away from home all year. She only needed to spend some time preparing before heading out.

Akesato wholeheartedly approved of this arrangement. After all, he still wasn't quite used to bringing Mom along while clearing Maps, and there were certain shameless tricks he was too embarrassed to use in front of her.

This showed that Akesato had yet to fully train the thickness of his skin.

But his legwork was more than sufficient as he sped all the way along... pedaling his Bicycle.

Until he obtained a Motorcycle License, this was still the most convenient and efficient means of transportation. He could even enjoy the thrill of taking his girlfriend out for a ride—what could be better?

His speed was seventy miles an hour.

His mood was free and unfettered.

Hopefully, the key point was—

A school?

Though it was a bit of a letdown, it was hardly strange.

Japanese students were famously under immense pressure, so it was perfectly normal for negative emotions to accumulate in schools.

Once he had finished visiting those famous haunted hotspots, Akesato's next target would be schools.

What truly struck Akesato as strange was the undisguised fluctuations of cursed energy within the school, along with the sounds of fighting.

"Looks like I'm not the only Jujutsu Sorcerer who doesn't follow the rules. Or maybe it's a Curse User doing whatever they please?"

First, a few concepts needed to be clarified.

Cursed energy could be viewed as Chakra from Naruto, or Dou Qi from Battle Through the Heavens. Those who wielded cursed energy were all superhuman.

Across all of Japan, the number of humans who could wield cursed energy had only just surpassed four digits.

Ordinary people could not see Cursed Spirits, nor could they harm them. Only attacks imbued with cursed energy could damage Cursed Spirits. Jujutsu Sorcerers had always protected humanity from Cursed Spirits.

Given the gap in power and their status as protectors, it was not hard to understand why some Jujutsu Sorcerers saw themselves as masters, treating ordinary people as monkeys, livestock, or even ants, and acting however they pleased.

That was how Curse Users came to be.

Of course, understanding was one thing; agreeing was another.

"The strong should regard the freedom of the weak as their boundary." Akesato liked that saying very much.

He did not necessarily have to become a hero, but at the very least, he should not become a scoundrel without a bottom line.

"If it really is a Curse User, then I'll kill them. The Jujutsu Alliance has always handled them that way, at least on the surface. It'll also be a good chance to see whether killing people can make things drop."

Akesato muttered to himself, the expression on his face gradually turning ferocious. Yet Gardevoir was not afraid, because Akesato's intentions were kind.

He parked his Bicycle by the nearest wall. After giving it some thought, Akesato abandoned the idea of sneaking directly into the school. He took a "Wedge" made by Akemi from his pocket and slapped it into the wall.

"From the darkness, darker than black. Purify all that is impure and defiled."

A dusk-colored Curtain descended from the sky. Anyone who was neither stupid nor blind would realize that a third party had intervened, and their actions would change accordingly.

"Next, should I wait by the stump for the rabbit to come out? Or charge in and go on a rampage? The former is safer, but the latter is obviously more satisfying."

Just as Akesato was struggling with the decision, a voice came from within the Curtain.

"Don't move!"

And then, Akesato truly could not move.