Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

When I returned Nina-chan to her room, I went back to my own, only to find that my father wasn't there.

Inside, my mother was preparing by taking clothes out of her luggage for the bath, and meanwhile, Hina sat on the bed, watching TV. I glanced at the screen and saw a talk show covering the recent "mass unconsciousness incident at a Tokyo elementary school."

The topic wasn't exactly pleasant, so I turned away and asked my mother, "Where did Dad go?"

"He's taking a shower," she said, nodding toward the bathroom.

Sure enough, when I listened closely, I could hear the water running from that direction.

"He should try the hot springs," I said.

"He doesn't want to; with so many other guests around, I think he'd rather not show his scars," she said with a gentle smile.

That made sense. When we'd visited the hot spring in the afternoon, it had been empty, but now it was evening, and other guests were bound to be there. It would probably cause a bit of a stir if they saw him.

As I pondered this, my mom paused while pulling clothes from her bag and asked me, "What about you, Itsuki? Do you want to go to the hot spring?"

"Yes, I do!" I replied. I had only tried the sauna earlier, so this time I wanted to enjoy the open-air bath.

And with that, I took the clothes my mother handed me, and Hina, my mother, and I headed toward the hot spring.

"Can you go in alone, Itsuki?" my mom asked.

"I can manage," I assured her.

I entered the men's bathhouse by myself, glancing around. Sure enough, it was crowded, just as my mom had expected. If Dad or Mr. Renji were here, they'd definitely stand out.

It had been a while since I'd been alone. I washed up and headed to the open-air bath.

The cold air of early winter hit me as I stepped outside, making my wet skin shiver slightly.

Cold, I thought, as I slid into the warm water, leaning my head back against the edge of a stone to gaze up at the sky.

"…Phew."

As I relaxed, I felt a slight pang of loneliness, missing the presence of my scarred companions. I looked at my own arm, smooth and unscarred—a result of the healing magic I had used after getting hurt protecting Nina-chan from the "Actor's" spell that had caused the school incident.

The wounds I'd received were gone, replaced by fresh skin, but it was only possible because of magic. My healing magic was just a form of "morphological alteration," where I forced my body to rebuild itself using magic. I remembered studying anatomy with my mom and Hina to learn how to use it properly.

I wondered briefly—could my healing magic work on my father's scars? Or was there a reason they remained?

Probably not. My mother had the same magic, and she hadn't healed him. There must be limits, even if she was a "First Rank" exorcist. Perhaps it was a matter of magical energy or maybe something else.

Still, I wished that there were a way to heal hearts as well as bodies.

My thoughts trailed off as an idea struck me.

—Could it really be impossible to create healing magic for the mind?

Morphological alteration allows one to create anything, given enough magic. So, could I make something akin to a potion that would heal a wounded heart? I didn't know for certain, but perhaps some magic existed that could restore Nina-chan's spirit.

I instinctively began weaving Silveit, between my fingers, thinking of a way to shape it. Then I stopped; forming a new spell required a clear vision, and it wouldn't do to create something without understanding its effects. I couldn't risk creating something vague and unpredictable, especially with the human heart.

If I didn't know, I should ask. Someone must know about using magic on emotions, right? But as I scanned my memory, no one in my circle came to mind who might possess such knowledge.

As I stared up at the night sky, my gaze caught the pale moon. It reminded me of the sky I'd seen in Aya-chan's mind during our summer training, and then it hit me.

I let out a small "Ah," standing up abruptly.

If no one around me knew, then maybe there was a monster who did.

I dried off quickly, threw on my clothes from the locker, grabbed the necklace with my treasures, and slipped out. I looked for an empty place where I wouldn't be disturbed, and finding none, I ended up back in our room.

The room was dark and empty; my father was nowhere to be found. But that was fortunate.

I took hold of the amber-colored treasure on my necklace, focusing my magic through it. Wrapping it with Silveit, I shaped the energy to create a human form.

And with a surge of magic, he appeared—Harunaga Adashino, the Sixth Rank monster.

In his ancient attire, complete with floating talismans, the tall, pale man looked down at me.

"Long time no see, Harunaga Adashino," I greeted him.

He bowed low, his tall figure folding like a puppet. It felt oddly ceremonial.

"…What are you doing?"

'To think that I would taste life once more, this is beyond dreams. I offer my deepest gratitude for this opportunity,' he said, his voice reverent.

Why did they all react this way when summoned?

"Do you know of any magic to heal the human heart?" I asked directly.

Adashino's face twisted into a sinister grin.

'Master, that would be black magic. Forbidden arts.'

"…But that means it's possible?" I asked, a bit taken aback.

'Oh, indeed,' he said, with a creepy chuckle. 'One could, for instance, melt the spirit down, reshaping it anew. Then it would become a puppet, obedient and docile.'

"Were you even listening to what I asked?"

Maybe I should just return him to his treasure form. Sensing my irritation, Adashino raised a hand as if to say, "Hear me out," before continuing.

'Of course, there are also ways that might align better with your intentions. You are in Mino, after all, yes? You could try a method involving "Peaches of the Immortal Realm." The peaches there have potent restorative properties for the spirit.'