Chapter 36: A Sudden Change
"Big sis, could you bring the ring with you tomorrow~? You look sooo pretty with it on!"
Tatsuro's soft and sweet tone echoed beside Yuto Mi's ear. He had clearly reached a point of desperation and was now making full use of his best weapon—
Cuteness.
After all, he was only fifteen. If persuasion didn't work, surely acting adorable would.
"Even if you try to act cute, it's useless."
Yuto Mi firmly rejected him. "That ring is something my mother left me. I'll never wear it outside."
"…"
You leave me no choice but to go all-in, woman!
Tatsuro's voice got even softer and more innocent. "But if it was your mother, wouldn't she have wanted you to wear it always?"
Those words made Yuto Mi pause in her steps. She stared at her hand in thought. Behind her, Tatsuro's lips curled into a smug smile.
Ha! Who said cuteness doesn't work? Look at that—it works! As long as I can complete this system mission, I'd even wear a dress without blinking.
Yuto Mi looked down at her left hand. Her expression softened.
Tatsuro knew the timing was right and pressed further. "You can wear it all day, you know. I'm here to make sure it'll never fall off. Just trust me, okay?"
This time, she didn't reject him outright. Instead, she said after some thought, "I'll consider it."
…
Nightfall.
Tatsuro made his way back to the small training hut from the night before. The door was already open, and before even stepping in, he heard the loud clang clang thud of blows landing—clearly someone was hitting with full force.
Stepping inside, he saw Itou Shuichi pounding away at the training dummy. Tatsuro waved. "Evening, Master Shuichi!"
"Yo."
Shuichi paused and wiped the sweat from his brow. Glancing at the wall clock, he nodded, "Right on time."
"Of course."
Tatsuro grinned and glanced at the table—his three gold watches and his sunglasses were still exactly where he left them.
"So, are we training or sparring first tonight?"
"Hah, sparring first, of course. Don't want your eyes bleeding from learning again."
Shuichi half-joked as he peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt, revealing solid, powerful muscles. "Tonight there's no time limit. I'm going to beat the crap out of you!"
"Uh…"
Tatsuro stared at the eager-to-brawl Shuichi, internally screaming. This grown man's enthusiasm is way too much like a kid's!
Fine. No way around it. Let's test out what I learned yesterday!
He took off the shirt he'd bought with Yuto Mi that morning, warmed up a little, and then wrapped his body in cursed energy. A crimson glow flickered briefly around him before fading away.
He waved his hand. "I'm ready."
The moment he spoke, Shuichi didn't respond. He launched himself forward with explosive power—his calves bulging like iron cables. The three-meter gap between them vanished in an instant.
Tatsuro barely had time to cross his arms in front of his face as a fist the size of a sandbag closed in.
SMACK!
A crisp crack echoed through the room. Tatsuro blocked the punch—but was immediately sent flying. Just like yesterday, except this time instead of crashing into a tree, he slammed into the stone wall.
"It's not over yet!"
Shuichi, remembering how sturdy this kid was, didn't hold back. His fists rained down like a storm, each strike thudding like it was hitting solid steel.
Is this guy's body made of iron?! Tatsuro gritted his teeth.
With his cursed energy acting like armor, he was mostly fine. But the floor wasn't. He was just transferring the full force of Shuichi's punches into the marble beneath him.
He could already hear the cracking.
Honestly, even a semi-grade 2 cursed spirit would be reduced to mush at this point.
He kicked hard at Shuichi's stomach, sending him staggering back, then stood and charged forward—his own punch barreling in with incredible force.
Still grinning, Shuichi braced and met the blow head-on.
Two minutes later.
Itou Shuichi sat on a chair, breathing heavily and cursing. "That's it, I'm done. I'm never sparring with you again, you monster. I pounded you into the ground for three whole minutes—any normal guy would be dead. But you? Not even a scratch!"
Tatsuro rubbed his sore arm and grumbled internally, Yeah, well, sparring with you for three minutes drained two-thirds of my cursed energy. No wonder cursed spirits would run from you.
After a short rest, Shuichi stood and said, "Alright. Let's start the real training."
"Got it."
Tatsuro grabbed his sunglasses, turned on his Sharingan, and got ready to copy again.
Ten minutes later.
The door to the training hut opened, and a slim figure stepped out.
It was Tatsuro, and he looked completely exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot—he'd nearly overused them again. Glancing at the three gold watches on his wrist, he saw it was only 8:30 PM.
Still early… but he was drained.
As he made his way down the winding path toward the villa, he turned away several people who approached him with questions.
"I'm too tired. Ask me tomorrow."
But as he drew closer to the villa entrance, his expression darkened. He raised his head and stared at Yuto Mi's room.
The cursed energy that used to linger there—was gone.
He immediately sensed it—the semi-grade 1 cursed spirit was now moving within the villa. And fast. Like it was chasing something.
Tatsuro's mind blanked.
"Crap!!"
He dashed to the villa doors and burst in, racing toward Yuto Mi's room.
The two guards at the entrance blinked in confusion at his sudden panic, then quickly followed.
Damn it! he cursed. Why did the curse spirit leave her room?! Is someone trying to assassinate her?!
If so, this was a disaster.
He had no cursed energy left to fight it.
But wait—wasn't this place heavily guarded? How could anyone even get in?
Maybe it was another cursed spirit encroaching on its territory?
No… that didn't feel right. If something powerful had entered, he would've sensed it.
Whatever the case, he had to act fast.
First, get back to his room and grab his cursed tools.
Then—head straight to Yuto Mi's room.