Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

"Excellent! Congratulations, Yue Ren! I hereby declare that you have graduated. Without a doubt, you are the best student I have ever taught!"

Upon hearing this, Yue Ren gave the white-haired man, who was completely self-absorbed, a look as if he were trash.

This guy is really narcissistic, but he didn't refute it. After all, the man had indeed helped him a lot, and he had always respected him as his teacher. But his terrible personality was really hard to compliment.

He waved his hand to indicate that the other party could leave, as he was exhausted and needed to rest and review the situation.

What needed to be done has been done. If the other party is still cut in half by Su Nuo's spatial attack even with this "vaccine," then it means that he was destined to suffer this calamity, and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

He couldn't become a nanny, and as a friend he respected, he felt that what he had done was enough. Sometimes, shouldn't we respect other people's fate?

Gojo Satoru understood perfectly, made a gesture of understanding, and then happily prepared to leave with Megumi beside him.

He couldn't hide his smile. Putting aside how this battle inspired him to continue improving his strength, he was overjoyed to have Yue Ren as his second "pillar." He even couldn't help but fantasize about relieving his work pressure and going on a beach vacation.

Ah, just thinking about it makes me feel incredibly excited.

My blue sky, my ocean, here I come...!

what?

The good mood lasted until the next day. When Gojo Satoru subtly suggested to his teacher, Principal Yagami, that Echigo could appropriately increase his workload and help him handle many high-risk tasks, he was met with Yagami's explicit opposition.

When he heard the word "no" come out of the man's mouth, Gojo Satoru's illusions were shattered.

"Why? I already said he's very strong, teacher, don't you understand what I mean by that?"

Wu Tiao Wu doesn't understand.

"Of course I know what you mean by calling him strong in such a manner, and I'm quite surprised myself, but it's unacceptable for Kawasaki Koshito to be sent on such a dangerous mission!"

"..."

Gojo Satoru couldn't help but take a few steps back, clutching his heart, feeling betrayed by his organization.

Why is the world treating him like this? He finally found someone who could "cover his shift," but his teacher and half-boss rejected it. Gojo Satoru felt like the sky had fallen.

There is no love left... Let this world be destroyed.

Looking at Gojo Satoru, who had turned gray, Yaga sighed helplessly.

"There's a reason for doing this. Take a look at this first."

As he spoke, he took a document out of a drawer and placed it on the table. Upon hearing this, Gojo Satoru finally raised his head with difficulty, and then his gaze fell on the large words on the report: "On the role of Kawasaki Koshijin".

What is this? How come there's a report with such a strange name?

His curiosity was instantly piqued, and he quickly picked up the document and began to read it. After a moment, he showed an expression that was three parts relief, three parts strangeness, three parts resignation, and one part relief.

It was also a treat for Moth, who was sitting in the principal's chair. It was the first time he had seen such a rich variety of expressions on the face of this strongest student, which was even more interesting than a face painting.

"Is this true?"

Although it was a question, the man clearly no longer denied the rationality of what he had said. After all, based on his understanding of the Yue people, the things mentioned were most likely true, and the reason he didn't know was simply because he hadn't paid attention to them.

"Yes, it's been tallied up. The pressure on lower-level sorcerers has dropped dramatically recently, the mission completion rate has improved significantly, and the casualty rate has also decreased. You can probably see Glass in some lunch cafe now."

That's a huge change! You know, as the only person in the college specializing in "treatment," Shoko's workload was no less than his... Ahhh, even Shoko is free now, and what about me... Waaaaah...

"And all of this is thanks to Yue Ren's 'cursed tools.' Not long ago, he developed the 'Natural Fang,' which can directly convert cursed power into positive energy, making battlefield medical care a common possibility. Now you understand why Yue Ren can't be sent on dangerous missions. His real strength isn't just about being able to exorcise cursed spirits like you. It's no exaggeration to call him a 'powerful weapon' in our department."

Moth leaned forward, crossed his arms and placed his elbows on the table, his fists pressing against the lower half of his face, looking inscrutable.

"Don't you also feel that the arrangements for you have been a bit more relaxed lately? Qi Hai, Ming Ming, these high-level combatants have also greatly enhanced their strength by relying on the 'special grade' cursed tools he made. Now, as long as it's not a cursed spirit with troublesome powers like a domain, they can handle the job perfectly well."

"It can be said that Yue Ren single-handedly raised the level of the entire sorcery world."

Gojo Satoru nodded unconsciously. If that were the case, it would indeed be reasonable; even he couldn't find fault with it. However... thinking about his own request again... it was so heartbreaking...

He simply hadn't considered that for a country, having one more person wouldn't actually make much of a difference. He himself had unlimited ability to move long distances in a short time, which to some extent raised the upper limit of the sorcery world. Although Yue Ren had strength, he didn't have such a special way of moving, so theoretically Yue Ren's role was actually similar to that of Nanami and the others.

After all, it's not yet the time when top-tier enemies are everywhere, and the four major natural disasters haven't even shown their faces yet. There aren't that many enemies that highly skilled professionals can't handle.

"Waaaaah, my vacation..."

Gojo Satoru collapsed at the principal's office door like a melted ice cream, his six eyes dimming slightly.

"Don't embarrass yourself here," Moth took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you think Yue Ren has it easier than you? As far as I know, he's been sleeping almost all the time in the workshop lately and hasn't even gone back to his dormitory."

Gojo Satoru paused for a moment, feeling as if he had found his group again. It turned out that there were still people working overtime with him. That felt good.

"...Alright then."

He waved his hand, his back seemingly bearing the words "I accept my fate," and pushed open the door to leave.

The sunlight in the corridor shone on that head of white hair, making it appear somewhat desolate.

Moth looked at the closed door and a rare smile appeared on her lips.

He didn't think Gojo Satoru would stay in this state for long. That guy was shameless, and he probably just put on a show for him. If he really showed a sympathetic expression and gave him some real benefits, he would probably be ridiculed on the spot. How could he not know what kind of person his student was?

Moth put down the documents in her hand, took off her glasses, and looked out the window.

The college is as quiet as a painting in its daily life.

The teaching buildings, dormitories, training grounds, cherry blossom groves—everything was quietly dozing off.

"Kawasaki Etsujin..."

The moth murmured the name, a complex smile playing on its lips.

How could Gojo Satoru not understand what he meant? You could tell from the joy on his face. A powerful person who could gain his approval, even if not as monstrous as him, was probably at least a Special Grade level. It seemed that the boy had grown to a very strong level without anyone noticing.

It's still a bit unbelievable, though. How did he manage to possess both special talents and formidable strength in such a short time?

Is this truly the lingering influence of a genius?

Forget it, these are not things I should care about. As long as he stands firmly on the side of "humanity" like Gojo, then I should fulfill the responsibilities of a "principal" and protect him from the influence of "malice".

The Yue people of today are a "shield," not a shield to block attacks, but a shield that unconsciously protects everyone in the entire world of sorcery.

A single enchanted artifact allows a level-two sorcerer to perform a task that should be carried out by a level-one sorcerer.

A single cursed artifact can bring a dying sorcerer back to life on the battlefield.

A single cursed artifact can save the entire team that would otherwise be wiped out.

This is the power of Kawasaki Koshito.

The moth stood up and walked to the window.

It's fortunate that a vocational college has such a person.

Having both Gojo Satoru and Kawasaki Etsuto is also a stroke of luck in the world of jutsu.

Moth turned back to the table, picked up the copy of "On the Role of Kawasaki Koshijin," and turned to the last page about hazard assessment.

There was a handwritten note there, in his own handwriting:

"Important equipment should not be handled lightly."

He looked at it for a long time, then closed the file and put it back in the drawer.

The cherry blossoms outside the window are in full bloom; a few petals fell when the wind blew, and everything was very quiet.

Everything seemed to have returned to normal—this was what a college should be like, and this tranquility was what he truly longed for.

three days later.

"bite--"

The workshop's doorbell was rang with unusual persistence.

The Yue man raised his head from a pile of iron wreckage. The dark circles under his eyes were so thick they could be used as ink. He squinted at the doorway, where two slender figures stood against the light.

"Come in."

His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper.

The door opened, and Maki stepped in first, while Mai behind her nervously clutched the hem of her school uniform.

The reason she seemed awkward was partly because she was acting with her sister—in fact, if it weren't for Yuki looking for her, she would have definitely hung up halfway when Maki called her, since the relationship between the sisters had become very complicated since Maki left the family.

On the other hand, it was because of the state of Yue Ren she saw. Was this boy, whom she had a good impression of, really alright? He looked like he was about to die.

"You said you've found a way to help us?"

On the other side, Maki was very straightforward and got straight to the point. It wasn't that she was heartless, but she had often seen the boy in this state recently, so she knew that he was fine. After all, she had been helping him bring his meals during this time.

Although Zhenyi behind her didn't say anything, the hope in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"Really......?"

Yue Ren stood up from behind the worktable and casually tossed his dusty gloves into a corner.

He wasn't surprised by their arrival, since he was the one who called them. But what surprised him was the time they arrived; he had called in the morning, and it was only a little past noon.

"Yes, the time is ripe."

He went to another room, cleaned himself up of the dirt and sweat, and then drank the prepared water in one gulp.

"The blade that severs cause and effect."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping from Maki to Mai.

"The root of your problem lies in the world's rules regarding the human soul. Twins are intertwined, and in terms of sorcery and magical power, they are considered as one person. Therefore, it's not just that your magical talents are split in two, leaving you both incomplete."

"Moreover, this special connection also causes their 'talents' to influence each other."

As he spoke, he first pointed to Maki.

"Your innate talent is 'Heaven and Curse' without any magical power. This should have made you like your cousin, possessing extraordinary senses and physical abilities despite losing your magical power. However, because of the entanglement with your twin sister, Mayi, you have gained a trace of magical power that shouldn't belong to you. This not only doesn't help you, but it also adds 'impurities' to your 'Heaven and Curse,' which is why you appear so 'weak.'"

The two were stunned upon hearing this. It was the first time they had heard such an explanation, and their minds went blank for a moment. After all, such "truth" was too outrageous. Was this the secret they were hiding?

The two exchanged a glance, a sense of guilt just beginning to rise within them, when they heard the boy continue pointing at Zhenyi and saying:

"As for you, possessing the 'Construction Formula,' you should have become an excellent 'Spellcaster.' However, due to the natural suppression of your spell power by the 'Heavenly Binding' that your sister has mixed into your soul, the spell power you can use is pitifully small, making you a half-baked spellcaster with excellent formulas but unable to exert their effects."

In other words, your two special talents are actually holding each other back without you even realizing it.

"..."

"You... are only finding out now?"

"No, I knew it after I first met you and used the technique to understand your bodies. However, at the time, I didn't know what to do, so as not to cause you any more trouble, I chose not to say anything."

The two women no longer felt much guilt towards each other. Instead, they looked at the boy simultaneously, feeling the same, even stronger emotion, which made their hearts race.

The sense of security they felt from the words spoken by this boy was something they had never experienced from anyone else... This feeling of being cared for and embraced warmed their hearts.

They are both companions and elders, tirelessly seeking solutions to their problems and guiding them on their path. They also consider their emotions with such gentleness and thoughtfulness. They have never even experienced such "care" from their closest parents.

For a moment, both girls unconsciously felt their cheeks getting hot.

Knowing that the two might be experiencing mixed feelings, Yue Ren didn't see anything wrong with it and spoke frankly:

"Now I can help you 'sever' this connection."

"!"