Chapter 21 – Good Thing I'm Just a Bit Better
Both techniques were, in essence, forms of "absolute hit" and "absolute counter."
Miwa's Simple Domain achieved guaranteed hits through ultra-precise cursed energy perception—locking onto targets and responding automatically.
But this curse's technique—"Shift"—was different. It wasn't precision. It was indiscriminate, space-wide annihilation.
If you compared raw threat level, the latter was far more dangerous.
A Simple Domain's guaranteed hit could be bypassed—move faster than the user, strike before the counter triggers, and you're safe.
But this full-area, no-dead-angle slashing field?
It simply didn't care about logic.
Still, Kanzaki Ren's lips curved slightly.
This technique likely shared one weakness with Miwa's Simple Domain.
"Idiot. You're not the only one who can cheat."
He formed a hand seal.
The cursed energy coursing through his body instantly changed—lighter, wilder, violently agitated.
"Try my second technique."
"Burn."
A roaring inferno burst from his palms, transforming into a blazing river of flame that surged forward in a magnificent torrent toward the sword curse.
Firelight illuminated Ren's blood- and sweat-streaked face as he smiled faintly.
You love cutting things? Let's see if you can cut through fire.
"Shift—"
The whispered female voice echoed near his ear.
Within the raging inferno, a two-meter-wide vacuum suddenly tore open—as if a hurricane had cleaved through the flames.
A white figure burst through the blazing sea.
Ren's expression shifted sharply.
You can actually cut fire?!
Boom!
The flames collapsed. The curse was blasted backward over ten meters, crashing into rubble once more and sending dust everywhere.
Ren remained standing where he was, wiping sweat from his brow.
"That was close. Good thing I'm just a bit better."
At the critical moment, he had activated Limitless Probability again—forcing every incoming slash to deflect and collide with one another—before landing a solid, unceremonious punch straight into the sword curse's face.
After a brief breath, he flashed forward into the dust cloud.
Before the curse could recover, he grabbed it by the collar and drove curse-infused punches into its head.
Boom!
Boom boom!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!
…
Moments later, Ren emerged from the smoke dragging a barely conscious curse.
"That's enough," he called toward the distance. "Come apply your Tsukumogami Manipulation."
"Y-You finished it?"
Momo's widened eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Yeah."
"R-Ren… are you alright?"
She hurried over, dragging her broken broom, noticing his blood-soaked body.
"I'm fine," he replied, shaking his head lightly. "Just surface wounds."
As he spoke, Ren suddenly noticed something odd about Momo's expression.
Her lips were slightly parted. Those lake-blue eyes of hers weren't looking at the subdued sword curse—her newly acquired prize at all.
They were locked—firmly—on a certain part of him.
Her already rosy cheeks deepened visibly, turning crimson in an instant.
"Ah—ahhh—Momo-senpai!"
Ren vanished in a blur, ducking behind a pile of rubble to shield half his body. Then, glancing left and right, he darted again—this time behind the very tree where the curse had first stood—completely concealing himself.
"Hurry up!"
One arm stretched out from behind the trunk, pointing solemnly at the battered sword curse he had left behind.
"Quickly use Tsukumogami Manipulation to subdue it, Momo-senpai! If it recovers, it'll be troublesome again!"
"O-Okay!"
Momo snapped back to her senses, swallowing hard. She crouched down in a hurry, trying to suppress her racing heartbeat and push aside distracting thoughts, focusing instead on casting Tsukumogami Manipulation on the sword curse.
It didn't take long.
The curse was successfully subdued.
"It's done!" she called toward the tree.
After a rustling sound from the shadows, Ren stepped out, and the two of them began walking toward the exit together.
Ren glanced at the sword curse floating obediently beside Momo—the same one he had beaten until it was bruised and battered—and couldn't help feeling genuine respect.
Impressive. It forced me to use my innate technique twice in a row.
Thinking of that, he asked curiously,
"So what exactly was going on with that curse? Why did it seem like it had two—no, even three techniques?"
The moment she subdued it, Momo had gained full knowledge of its information through her technique.
"It's called Kawasume," she explained first, introducing its name. "And about the techniques—you misunderstood."
"It only has one innate technique. It's called the Sword Saint Technique."
"However, it manifests in three forms. The first is the basic invisible slash—'Slash.' The second is a mid-range high-speed dash—'Flash.' And the third is a two-meter-radius indiscriminate slashing field—'Shift.'"
One technique?
Ren was surprised.
But after a moment's thought, that was far more reasonable than three separate techniques. It also reminded him of something important: a single innate technique didn't necessarily mean a single ability. He would need to be cautious in future battles.
"Yeah… it was a dangerous one," Momo wiped sweat from her forehead, still shaken. "If it weren't for you, Ren, I'd probably be the one lying there. Alone, I would never have subdued it."
"But you wouldn't have come alone in the first place, right?" Ren analyzed calmly.
"That's true. I originally planned to bring that idiot Todo along, but he couldn't make it."
She looked at him earnestly. "Anyway, thank you. You saved me again—and helped me obtain such a powerful shikigami."
But when her gaze drifted toward Ren's bare chest—
The faint pink at the tip of her nose deepened again, as red and sweet-looking as a ripe peach.
Ren started walking, leaves rustling around his waist.
"No need to be so formal," he said casually. "We're on the same side, aren't we? Helping each other is only natural."
"And you're my senior, Momo-senpai. If you really want to thank me, just look out for me more in the future." He smiled.
"Of course!" Momo's face brightened instantly. Her youthful voice adopted an exaggeratedly mature tone. "If you run into trouble at school, just come find me! Your senpai will handle it!"
Chatting like that, they reached the dojo entrance.
"Is—Is everything alright?"
The black-haired middle-aged supervisor rushed forward.
The moment he saw Ren drenched in blood, his face went pale.
"T-This is bad—we need medical—"
"No need," Ren waved him off. "Just some surface wounds. A regular doctor will do."
"And get him a clean set of clothes immediately," Momo added seriously—before glancing helplessly at the half-naked Ren beside her.
Beads of sweat formed on her golden forehead.
Her junior was excellent in almost every way.
Except perhaps… his sense of aesthetics and general common sense.
To solve the "being naked" issue, Ren's solution behind the tree had been—
Stringing leaves together with cursed energy and fashioning himself a grass skirt.
When she suggested he temporarily borrow clothes from the deceased victims along the way, he flatly refused. Claimed he wasn't used to wearing other people's clothes.
And judging by the rather proud expression he had while swishing around in his handmade grass skirt—
He seemed quite satisfied with it.