Another year slipped by as Naomitsu went back and forth with Satoru Gojo and Kento Nanami.
His cursed energy steadily increased, reaching two hundred thousand.
In his private dorm room, Naomitsu tilted his head back and counted down. Once midnight passed, he looked up at his cursed energy.
[423700]
Four hundred and twenty thousand cursed energy. Of course, that was before the binding vow took its cut.
Barely a few seconds later, the number began changing again. This time, the binding vow deducted ten percent.
In the end, he still had [381330] left.
Three hundred and eighty thousand. His cursed energy was already at the level of a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Kento Nanami only had a few tens of thousands more than Naomitsu.
"I'm five now. Six more years until the binding vow ends. Should I go home and see Maki and the others?"
Looking toward Kyoto, Naomitsu found himself missing his two older sisters.
"Naomitsu! Come here! Someone's here to see you!"
It was Kento Nanami's voice, coming from outside his door. Naomitsu opened it and saw Maki and Mai, Megumi Fushiguro and his sister, and Naoya Zenin.
"Maki? Everyone's here!"
Naomitsu was surprised. He had just been thinking about going home, only for Maki to show up with everyone.
"You dummy, Mitsu! It's your birthday today!"
Once Mai entered the room, she hugged Naomitsu tight and rubbed her cheek against his. She was also holding a lunchbox she had made herself that morning.
"You never come back to see us, Mitsu! You promised you'd come home during the holidays!"
Mai opened her mouth and bit down hard on Naomitsu's cheek. Beside her, Maki looked utterly envious, but was too embarrassed to do the same.
Behind the two girls, Megumi Fushiguro instinctively glanced at his own older sister.
They were siblings too, but anything like what Naomitsu and his sisters were doing would probably never happen between them.
"Since everyone's here, I'll treat you all to sushi. I know a place with really good sushi."
The sushi restaurant Naomitsu wanted to take them to was the same one Suguru Geto had taken him to.
"Before we go for sushi, finish my lunchbox first."
"Mine too, little Mitsu!"
"Um... Naomitsu, I brought a lunchbox too."
Maki, Mai, and Tsumiki pulled out three enormous lunchboxes. Once he finished those, there would be no need for sushi.
Naomitsu furrowed his brows and turned to Naoya Zenin and Megumi Fushiguro.
"You two didn't bring me lunchboxes too, did you?"
Megumi Fushiguro and Naoya Zenin shook their heads vigorously. How could they possibly know how to make those? Tsumiki's lunchbox had already made Megumi terribly jealous.
Even he rarely got to eat his sister's homemade lunches. This guy was just infuriating.
"Then let's all share the lunches!"
Naomitsu planned to share the food. There was no way he could finish all of it alone. His stomach wasn't bottomless.
"No!"
"Only Mitsu gets to eat the lunches!"
Clearly, this was a line neither sister would let him cross. Looking miserable, Naomitsu opened the lunchboxes and began gorging himself.
Meanwhile, Nanami took Maki and the others out and treated them to a delicious feast.
"These guys are just awful."
Naomitsu grumbled as he stuffed his mouth with chicken cutlets and char siu. He had to admit that Maki and Mai really knew what he liked to eat.
Once Naomitsu finished, Nanami returned with the others. Worried he might not have had enough, his two thoughtful sisters had brought back all kinds of sushi.
"..."
Seeing Naomitsu's gloomy expression, Mai hugged him from behind, clinging to him like a koala.
"Mitsu, you've grown taller again since we last saw you a year ago."
Maki stood beside him and rose onto her tiptoes to compare their heights. Naomitsu was a meter and a half tall, leaving a twenty-centimeter gap between them.
"Mitsu, we can only stay with you for today. We have to go back tonight. Boo-hoo..."
Naomitsu was secretly delighted to hear Mai's words. Though he missed them dearly, he had no desire to develop a bottomless stomach.
Still, he had to offer her some comfort.
"Mai, I'll be home soon. In three months, I'll give you a surprise on your birthday."
Mai's eyes lit up at that. Beside her, Maki grew excited too.
They were twins, so Mai's birthday was also Maki's. If Mai was getting a surprise present, naturally Maki would get one too.
"I'm looking forward to it, Naomitsu."
Naomitsu nodded and quietly put away the takeout boxes. If he kept eating, he would definitely throw up.
After chatting a little longer, they reluctantly said their goodbyes and parted. They had come and gone in a hurry, only staying for a brief visit without even spending the night.
Both sisters looked deeply reluctant to leave. Naomitsu felt the same, but the thought of those outrageous lunchboxes quickly dispelled his reluctance.
After his sisters left and he had digested his lunch, Naomitsu began preparing for a taming ritual. This time, his target was the shikigami Max Elephant.
"Mr. Nanami? Can you handle this?"
"Don't worry. Have faith in your teacher." Nanami wiped his glasses, brimming with confidence.
Naomitsu nodded and began the shikigami taming ritual. As he channeled his cursed energy into it, Max Elephant's enormous body appeared.
"Let me warm up a little!"
Rather than drawing his blunt blade, Nanami began battling Max Elephant with his bare hands and feet.
"PAAAAH!!!"
Against the Ratio Technique, Max Elephant was riddled with weak points. Nanami toyed with him as though he were a plaything, leaving the elephant to rage helplessly.
"Sir, stop playing around. It's about time you knocked him down."
Naomitsu urged him on. If Nanami kept playing and killed Max Elephant, he would lose a shikigami for nothing.
"Got it!"
Nanami hadn't had his fill yet, but since Naomitsu had spoken, he would simply disable Max Elephant and leave the rest of the fight to him.
Ratio Technique! Expose the weak point! A critical punch!
Since Nanami hadn't used his full strength, Max Elephant only lost the ability to move. To Nanami, this was the perfect state for Naomitsu to hone his skills against.
"Go take him on, little guy!"
In Nanami's eyes, however gifted Naomitsu might be, he was still just a five-year-old child.
He remained vigilant. If Naomitsu proved no match for Max Elephant, he would step in immediately as his teacher and end the fight.
"Hm?"
A surprising sight unfolded. Instead of using the Ten Shadows Technique, Naomitsu walked straight up to Max Elephant.
"Naomitsu! It's dangerous! Get out of the way!"
Although Max Elephant could no longer move around, he could still attack. He raised his trunk high and brought it crashing down toward Naomitsu.
If it landed squarely, Naomitsu would probably be reduced to a pulp.
"Getting impatient? Become my fifth shikigami!"
Naomitsu blurred into motion, dodging before the trunk struck. Cursed energy gathered in his palm as he slowly aimed it at Max Elephant.
One hundred, one thousand, ten thousand. Once his cursed energy reached fifty thousand, Naomitsu unleashed the Cursed Energy Cannon.
The shikigami Max Elephant was successfully tamed.
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