Noritoshi Kamo

"Nue!"

Nue, a large, owl-like bird, appeared, and Naomitsu soared through the air beneath his talons.

From above, he could take in the entire forest, every tree and ravine laid bare. Naomitsu quickly spotted the cursed spirit from his vantage point.

In his line of sight, the cursed spirit was roaring as it fought someone.

"Looks like I'm late. Someone's already fighting it. Wonder who that is... I'll go take a look."

Carrying Naomitsu, Nue swooped toward the cursed spirit.

As they drew closer, Naomitsu happened to see the boy activate his cursed technique. He had never seen it in action, but he knew it well: the Kamo Clan's Blood Manipulation.

Someone from the Kamo Clan... Probably Noritoshi Kamo, the son of that concubine...

Noritoshi Kamo was about Maki's age, and he was struggling to fight this Grade 2 Cursed Spirit with Blood Manipulation.

Too bad I didn't bring the Soul Liberation Blade. A cursed spirit at this level would only take one slash. Now I'll have to use the Ten Shadows Technique to deal with it.

He had Nue land nearby, then approached the cursed spirit's location on foot. If Noritoshi Kamo really couldn't handle it, he would step in and exorcise it.

This was the perfect opportunity to see the Kamo Clan's Blood Manipulation for himself.

Like a slithering snake, the blood traced an S-shaped curve through the air and stabbed into the cursed spirit's body from behind.

Clang!

Unable to pierce its defenses, Noritoshi Kamo cursed and dodged. Flying stone fragments left him looking utterly bedraggled.

"Damn it! Why isn't backup here yet? No! I have to beat this thing myself! I have to prove myself to Father! I have to see Mother!"

As though something had occurred to him, Noritoshi Kamo suddenly found his resolve. He stopped waiting for backup and devoted himself entirely to the fight.

Noritoshi Kamo was not the legitimate wife's son. He had been born to a concubine, and the Kamo Clan's head held no affection for him.

However, the legitimate son had not inherited Blood Manipulation, giving him a chance to rise in the clan.

His mother, though, remained a frequent target of hostility. To avoid jeopardizing Noritoshi Kamo's future, she had left the Kamo Clan.

That was why Noritoshi Kamo was so desperate to prove himself and see his mother. It was also why he was fighting a cursed spirit on the day of the Summer Festival.

"Die!"

Noritoshi Kamo activated Flowing Red Scale and tossed out two blood bags. When the bags burst, the blood inside fell under his control.

Whoosh!

Compressed to its limit, the blood erupted in a jet with a sonic crack.

This was the most powerful piercing attack in Blood Manipulation, and Noritoshi Kamo had only recently learned it.

Using it would not only exhaust his cursed energy, but also leave him temporarily anemic and weak.

If this attack failed to kill the cursed spirit, he would be unable to exorcise it and would instead put himself in danger.

"Die!"

Piercing Blood was aimed at the cursed spirit's weakest point: its neck. The rest of its body was covered in a hardened outer layer, making its neck the obvious vulnerability.

Szzzt-

Sparks flew for a full second, and, as expected, the cursed spirit's head separated from its body. Piercing Blood had punched a hole through its neck.

"I did it! I won!"

Seeing the cursed spirit's head fly into the air, Noritoshi Kamo breathed a sigh of relief and dropped onto his backside. Weakness and exhaustion immediately swept through his body.

"Roar... Eat... Eat you!"

Hearing the noise, Noritoshi Kamo jerked his head up. The cursed spirit before him, which should have been dead, was still standing.

"H-how is that possible? Is it a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit? Cutting off its head doesn't kill it?"

Panic spread through him. Now, instead of worrying about his father's approval, Noritoshi Kamo faced the danger of being eaten by a cursed spirit.

"Are you an idiot? You have to shatter a cursed spirit's core with cursed energy to exorcise it... That's common knowledge, isn't it? Didn't anyone in your clan tell you?"

Naomitsu appeared behind Noritoshi Kamo with his hands in his pockets. He had already restrained the cursed spirit using Toad.

It was already half-dead, so dealing with it was easy.

"Who are you...?"

"Someone from the Zenin Clan!"

Under Noritoshi Kamo's gaze, Naomitsu strolled leisurely up to the cursed spirit.

He clenched his fist, gathering cursed energy over it. As Noritoshi Kamo watched, he drove a punch into the cursed spirit's lower abdomen, where its hardened outer layer was thickest.

Thump!

The sound was like the beat of a drum, and cracks began spreading across the cursed spirit's body. Toad retracted his tongue as well, turning into a shadow that Naomitsu recalled.

"For a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, you can just overwhelm it with cursed energy and destroy its core. Blood Manipulation is a powerful cursed technique. Don't disgrace the Kamo Clan."

Those words infuriated Noritoshi Kamo. More than anything, he longed for recognition.

If his father heard that remark, it would shame him for the rest of his life.

"What? Want to take a swing at me?"

Naomitsu approached, and when he saw the hostility in Noritoshi Kamo's eyes, he sneered with contempt.

If his older sister Maki had his innate technique, she could probably slaughter this cursed spirit with ease.

"Go home and brush up on the basics of cursed spirits. I saved you this time, but you won't be so lucky next time."

After leaving him with those words, Naomitsu raised his left hand. Nue circled down from the sky, and Naomitsu grabbed his talons, rising steadily into the air.

"Damn you! What's your name?!"

Watching Naomitsu recede into the distance, Noritoshi Kamo dragged his weakened body upright and shouted with all his strength.

"Idiot! My name's Naoya Zenin! Work on getting stronger!"

With those parting words, Naomitsu vanished from sight. Left behind, Noritoshi Kamo muttered under his breath.

"Naoya Zenin... I'll get my revenge! When that day comes, I'll beat you senseless! I'll show you the power of Blood Manipulation!"

Noritoshi Kamo gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Ah-choo!"

Meanwhile, Naoya Zenin had just escorted the others back to the Zenin Clan estate. Not long after entering the courtyard, he let out a loud sneeze.

"What's wrong, Naoya?"

At Tsumiki's concerned question, Naoya Zenin waved a hand.

"It was probably because I soaked too long on my first visit to the hot springs and caught a chill when I came out."

The others smiled and thought little of it, but they all remained at the entrance without moving. For a moment, the atmosphere grew awkward.

In the end, Tsumiki was the first to speak.

"Isn't everyone... going back?"

"I'm waiting for my little brother!" "I'm waiting for Nao!" Maki and Mai answered in unison.

"Me too. I'm waiting for the boss," Naoya Zenin said, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

Tsumiki smiled. "Then let's all wait for Naomitsu together!"

It was late at night. After an entire evening out, they should all have been exhausted, yet they waited together in unspoken agreement.

Five minutes later, Nue swooped down in a glide with Naomitsu. Right by the entrance, he spotted everyone.

To be honest, Naomitsu was deeply touched. These people before him all cared about him.

At least in this unfamiliar world, Naomitsu had truly felt the warmth of being cared for for the first time.