Chapter 2 Let's sing together
Our House Was Built
When I returned to Tokyo after finishing work with Nina-chan and Irena-san, my father brought back such big news.
Our house, which had been partially destroyed by the sudden attack of Raikou Doji, had completely collapsed due to self-weight afterward. The rubble was cleared away, and the house was rebuilt from the foundation up, essentially a complete reconstruction. It's impressive that it was built in just over half a year, but according to my mother, nowadays, an ordinary house can be built in just two to three months or so.
That said, our house is a rare Japanese-style construction these days. Instead of using a house manufacturer, we called a carpenter to build the house from scratch, so it seems it took more time than expected.
By the way, the move itself was completed in less than a week. It was incredibly fast.
To celebrate the new house, we stood together at the entrance as a family of four, and Renji-san, holding a camera, said a word.
“Itsuki-kun, smile.”
“U-uh.”
In his hand was the SLR camera my father had bought for my entrance ceremony.
“Say cheese.”
With that cue, the shutter clicked, and the sound of the camera echoed.
As for why Renji-san was there, it was because, to celebrate the new house, my parents had invited the Shimotsuki family. Then, since it was a special occasion, it was suggested that we take a family photo, and Renji-san volunteered to be the photographer.
“Yeah. It looks good. Though, I think Itsuki’s expression is a little stiff.”
“Itsuki doesn’t like photos.”
“Oh, I see.”
When Renji-san laughed in response to my father, the scar on his face twisted terribly.
Though I had long gotten used to it, I wondered what the neighbors thought about seeing my father and Renji-san standing in front of the Japanese-style house. They probably looked like people from the wrong crowd.
By the way, my aversion to photos isn’t something that started recently; it goes back to a past life. After all, I had hardly ever been the subject of a photo in my life. The only times I had been photographed as the main subject were for my job-hunting resume and my employee ID. Before that, I think it was during high school’s graduation album.
Since I wasn’t in any clubs or part-time jobs in college, my life was truly one without photos.
Thinking about it, my photos might serve as a symbol of the monotony of my life, much like a stamp rally where you stamp the same stamp over and over again. Considering that, it makes sense that I had few photos in my life. …That thought was starting to make me feel unpleasant.
I stopped thinking about photos to avoid falling into self-loathing.
At that moment, my mother spoke up.
“It’s hot, come inside.”
“Alright!”
Trying to keep us out of the hot July air, my mother ushered Aya-chan and Hina inside first. I followed them in, and the pleasant scent of wood filled the air.
It was the smell of hinoki. I didn’t know much about it, but apparently, it’s a high-quality wood, and sometimes it’s used to make entrances like this.
There were so many things I didn’t know.
Again, I found myself wondering what my past life had been like, but just as my thoughts started to go in a bad direction, Renji-san spoke to me.
“Good for you, the house was built so quickly.”
“Yeah! The old house was fun, too.”
“Wasn’t it tough not having your own room?”
If I had to say whether it was tough or not, of course, it was at first.
Since I shared a room with Hina, I couldn’t practice magic before bed as much, and when I did, I had to be careful not to wake her. But I couldn’t really talk about that, so when I was about to say “It was fine,” Hina ran out of the bathroom with her hands dripping wet.
"Nii-chan, it's not hard at all! I was with you Nii-chan!"
"Ah, so you were sharing a room with Hina-chan."
"Yep! Since we were together, it wasn’t hard at all!"
As Hina waved her hands excitedly, Aya-chan hurriedly ran out from behind her.
"Hina-chan, you have to wipe your hands."
"I already wiped them!"
"Let’s wipe them again."
With that, Hina was led back to the bathroom. As I watched them go, Range casually spoke, almost as if making small talk.
"So, how’s it going, Itsuki-kun? Are you practicing magic regularly?"
"Yeah! Recently, I've been practicing 'Concentration Technique'... uh, I mean fairy magic."
"Is Irena-san teaching you?"
"No, it’s a classmate named Nina-chan. She’s the daughter of Irena-san."
"Ah, her."
I didn’t miss the brief moment of sadness in Renji-san's eyes when he mentioned Nina-chan.
It was the same reaction my father had when I introduced Nina-chan to him before. I couldn’t ignore it. She had lost her father right in front of her, and her memories were sealed away.
But... what was that reaction?
Based on the reactions from Renji-san and my father, it felt like there was more to it. Though the situation seemed delicate, so I couldn’t really press for more details.
"Well, as long as you’re practicing, that’s what matters."
"Why?"
"Because it means you're healthy."
Renji-san gave an answer that didn’t seem to make much sense, then stepped inside the house.
I thought about his response for a moment, but I couldn’t figure out why he said that, so I decided to follow him inside.
In the living room, my mother was laying out sushi, and Hina was carrying plates, so I helped her with that.
However, there were only teacups and chopsticks left, so when I stretched out my "Thread of Guidance" to grab the remaining items for serving, my mother scolded me.
"Don’t be lazy!"
Since there was no helping it, I stopped using the Thread of Guidance and instead manually placed chopsticks in front of Renji-san and Aya-chan.
"Thanks, Itsuki-kun."
"You're welcome!"
The preparations were quickly finished, so I opened a bottle of orange juice with a bottle opener and poured it into Aya-chan's glass.
"It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Aya-chan."
"Has it been about a month? If I hadn’t gone to Aomori, we might have met sooner."
Aya-chan smiled and then said, "Here’s a souvenir," handing me a small paper bag.
Oh no, I didn’t buy any souvenirs when I went to exorcise with Nina-chan and the others.
I’ll have to think of a way to thank her next time... I thought to myself as I tried to fill the awkward silence. To do so, I borrowed a question from Renji-san.
"Aya-chan, have you been practicing magic lately?"
I thought it was just a casual question, but Aya-chan clearly stiffened her expression. Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?
Seeing me tense up, Aya-chan continued, clearly struggling to speak.
"Um, Itsuki-kun... actually... I... I can't use magic anymore."
"...You can't use magic anymore?"
I couldn’t help but repeat Aya-chan’s words.
Is that even possible...?
Her answer was completely different from what I had expected, and my mind was quickly filled with question marks.
After all, magic is a skill. For it to suddenly stop working is like saying you could ride a bike one day, and then suddenly can’t, or you could do a chin-up, and then suddenly can’t. It just doesn’t make sense.
As I tried to wrap my head around it, Aya-chan continued, still looking frustrated.
"Yeah. That’s right. No matter what I try, I just can’t use magic anymore..."
"When did that happen?"
"...I don’t know. I just realized it one day."
Aya-chan said this with a troubled expression, so I couldn’t help but glance at Renji-san.
That strange question Renji-san had asked me at the entrance earlier... I hadn’t expected to understand it in this way. I was silent for a moment, and then Renji-san, looking somewhat troubled, spoke up.
"To be honest, it’s like that. It’s not so much that she can’t use magic anymore, it’s more like she can’t weave threads anymore."
"You mean you can’t do Shijutsu properly?"
"It’s not just that. It seems like her Kaijutsu isn’t working well either."
Renji-san hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to explain it.
"You see, all of that is connected, right? The foundation for Shijutsu is Kaijutsu, and if that’s not working from the start, then the thread just doesn’t form."
"Is that... okay?"
When I turned to Aya-chan, she nodded.
"Yeah. My body’s fine. Really, my magic just isn’t moving. It’s like it’s frozen."
"Can magic freeze?"
"I think it would freeze if it undergoes a physical change."
Aya-chan responded as if it were obvious, and I reflexively gave a vague reply, "Maybe." I then turned back to Renji-san.
"With your magic frozen like that... is Aya-chan’s health okay?"
"Actually, it’s better that way. See, magic is life energy. Since it doesn’t leak or diminish on its own, it’s actually better for your health. You’re less likely to get sick or anything."
"...I see."
For a moment, I was about to accept that explanation, but then memories from three years ago came flooding back, and I couldn’t help but ask.
"Doesn’t that mean magic power will keep accumulating in the body? Won’t she become a 'Mana-eater'?"
At my question, Renji-san raised an eyebrow, as if to say "Oh," and then continued.
"Sorry, sorry. I misspoke."
"Misspoke?"
"When I said 'it doesn't leak,' I was talking about the magic that was already in the body. Right now, it’s neither decreasing nor increasing. It's as if the amount of magic power itself has been fixed."
"...Why?"
I voiced a very simple question that anyone in the same situation would ask. Renji-san quietly shook his head.
"We’ve had some specialists take a look at it, but no one knows what’s going on."
"What are you going to do?"
I thought for a moment that Aya-chan might be stuck unable to use magic, but then Renji-san shrugged his shoulders.
"I’m thinking of asking an expert. After all, there’s a summer training camp coming up."
"……………Summer training camp?"
"Huh? Didn’t Souichiro tell you?"
Renji-san tilted his head, and my father, who had brought a chilled ginger ale from the kitchen, answered briefly.
"He’s not participating in 'Tsukiari.'"
Tsukiari refers to exorcist families that have the character 'moon' (月) in their names, like Kisaragi and Shimotsuki. These families have had close bonds with each other for a long time, and perhaps because of that, children born into Tsukiari families are more likely to have higher ranks. In my case, there’s something I can’t tell anyone, so it’s not very relevant.
As I quietly buried the first shame of my life deep inside, Renji-san, receiving the ginger ale from my father, continued.
"This year, you’re going to be a lecturer, so I thought for sure you’d be invited."
"Only older students and middle schoolers will participate. Even if Itsuki came, I think it would be difficult for him to fit in."
"You’re not worried about magic leakage, though?"
"Of course not. It’s Itsuki, after all."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
Wait, why did I just get complimented? What’s going on?
As I wondered that, Aya-chan asked the same question.
"Hey, why aren’t you worried about Itsuki-kun?"
"Huh? Oh, it’s simple. 'Magic' targets people with a lot of magic power."
At Renji-san’s question, both Aya-chan and I nodded. This is basic knowledge.
"Generally, the higher the rank, the more magic power leaks out."
"Why?"
"Well, it’s because there’s more of it. For example, even if you leak 1% of your magic power just by living, if your rank is one level higher, that could be thirty times more. Do you get it?"
I nodded at Renji-san’s explanation. I see, it’s simply a matter of quantity.
"And Itsuki-kun is good at Kaijutsu. The magic leaking from your body is at a first-to-second level. With that, I don’t think a 'Magui' would target you to come to the training camp."
I felt a mix of happiness and relief when Renji-san complimented me.
The reason I had trained myself to suppress my magic was primarily to avoid being attacked by monsters due to my magic leaking out. It seemed like that effort had paid off, and hearing that my efforts weren’t in vain made me feel unexpectedly happy.
"That’s why I think it’s fine to invite Itsuki-kun to the training camp, Souichiro."
"Hey, what exactly is this training camp all about?"
I interrupted the conversation, which had been advancing rapidly among those who were in the know.
Renji-san, realizing that I didn’t know, gave an understanding smile and explained.
"Every year, we gather kids who aren’t from Tsukiari families and hold a training camp just for exorcists. We invite instructors to practice magic and do combat training."
"So it’s practice to become an exorcist?"
"To put it simply, yes. Kids who aren’t from Tsukiari families don’t have adults who can stay with them to teach them magic. You see, kids whose parents aren’t exorcists usually have to rely on self-study, right? That makes it difficult to properly learn magic."
Renji-san shrugged, as if it were an unavoidable situation.
Now that I thought about it, while I had learned Shijutsu by myself, all the other types of magic like Kaijutsu, elemental changes, and physical changes were taught to me by others. If I hadn’t received that help, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to use magic like I do now.
"Well, assuming Itsuki participates in the training camp, what would you have him do?"
Breaking the silence that had occurred after I had accepted the idea, my father spoke and poured ginger ale into his glass, just like Renji-san. The sight of the two burly men drinking ginger ale instead of alcohol was a bit strange, but it was daytime, and exorcists, who never knew when they might be called to work, wouldn’t drink on their time off unless necessary.
"The magic they teach at the camp is already well within your reach. You’ve already exorcised a sixth-level entity, after all."
"I know. You recently exorcised a fifth-level one, right?"
I assumed Renji-san was talking about the time Nina-chan and I were trapped in the "Closed World," but did we even discuss that...?
However, my father didn’t show any sign of confusion and continued.
"Or perhaps we could have him do a close combat training camp? Though I’d think it’d be hard for him to fit in with the others given his build."
"What are you talking about, Souichiro? We’ve already invited that kid this year. For Aya’s sake."
"…Ah, now that you mention it, I see."
My father said this, then clapped his hands lightly.
"I see. You’re right. If that kid’s there, then Itsuki would certainly have a reason to come to the camp."
"W-What are you talking about...?"
As the conversation suddenly took a new turn, I asked the two of them, and Renji-san continued.
"It’s about the magic Itsuki hasn’t mastered yet."
"What kind of magic is it?"
I got a little excited, hearing about a magic I didn’t know. I immediately asked, and this time it was my father who spoke.
"It’s magic that heals others. It can heal your own wounds, heal others’ injuries, and even reverse the effects of aging. There’s magic like that."
"Healing magic?"
"No, it’s not that. It’s similar, though."
When I blurted out the first word that came to my mind, my father quietly shook his head.
"You know it too. ‘Resonance.’"
The word was familiar. It was the magic I unintentionally used when I helped Hina.
But honestly, I didn’t know much about what it actually was. Seeing my puzzled expression, Renji-san quietly continued to explain.
"Resonance is a special technique. There are very few people among the exorcists who can use it. It's quite useful if you can use it, but it's often overlooked."
"You can heal injuries, though?"
Being an exorcist is a job where you're constantly facing life-threatening situations. If there was magic that could heal injuries, I figured they'd be in high demand everywhere. However, Rinji-san smiled a little and continued.
"Even if you can use resonance, it doesn't mean you can exorcise 'evil spirits.'"
"...uh..."
"To survive, you need to exorcise the evil spirits. Even if you can heal your own injuries without the power to exorcise, it won't help you much."
I could understand that reasoning. The first thing I thought when I came to this world was "exorcise before getting killed."
But now, I wanted to learn healing magic. If I could heal my own injuries, it seemed like the chances of dying while fighting monsters would be reduced. If I could heal others too, it would lower the risk of my acquaintances dying.
If, on top of that, I could learn a more advanced version during the camp, shouldn't I learn it?
"Being able to help people is a strength. The reason why Aya's magic stopped working might be explained by that, too."
"...n"
I was impressed to think that resonance could be used in such a way.
If it's magic, then if I learned resonance during the camp, could it help Aya-chan regain her magic? ...Maybe I was overestimating myself.
"Also, I don't really like saying things like this, but..."
Rinji-san lowered his tone, glancing briefly at Hina, who had gone to the kitchen to chase after her mother, before continuing.
"It’s about Hina-chan, too."
"...... Memories."
"Exactly."
I also followed Rinji-san's gaze and looked at Hina—the little sister who had almost turned into a monster because of the monster’s influence and whom I had saved.
"You know, Itsuki-kun, there’s a risk of recurrence with Genari."
"Yeah."
That was something my father had told me back when I saved Hina.
Without thinking, I clenched my hand into a tight fist.
What if—if Hina's Genari relapsed?
What if my own sister turned into a monster?
And what if I had no choice but to stop her?
The mere thought of it felt like a knife pressed against my throat. That fear was unbearable.
"So, what do you think, Itsuki-kun? Would you like to join the training camp and learn resonance too?"
When Renji-san asked me that, I nodded firmly.
I wanted to learn healing magic... the magic to heal my own wounds.
I wanted to help uncover the cause behind what happened to Aya-chan.
But more than anything—if Hina's Genari ever resurfaced, I wanted to be able to stop it.
So my answer was already decided.
"I want to. I want to train in resonance at the camp too."
At my words, both Renji-san and my father smiled, as if they had known I would say that.
"It's settled then, Souichiro."
"Yeah. I'll sign him up for the training camp. There should still be slots left for resonance, anyway."
Though a hint of concern lingered in my father's reply… my summer break had just been stamped with a training camp.
Chapter 2