After a deep, restorative sleep, I sat in the hotel suite and began counting the cash.
It was a massive sum—the half-cut I had taken from Toji's commission fees.
"This should be plenty. How is the hotel owner doing?"
"Still singing our praises," replied Koyanskaya of Darkness, the Foreigner.
We had already agreed on the designations. Koyanskaya of Light was the Assassin. Koyanskaya of Darkness was the Foreigner.
Other nicknames felt ambiguous or lacked the proper weight. It was much simpler and more precise to distinguish them by their Class, however clinical it might seem.
The owner of this hotel had been suffering from a Cursed Spirit infestation until we stepped in. In exchange for the exorcism, we were staying here free of charge. We had even done a secondary sweep of the minor Curses lurking in the hallways. We'd more than earned our room and board.
"Master~ I've finished changing. What do you think? Is it to your liking?"
The click of a door announced the return of the Assassin from the dressing area.
Her top was cut dangerously low, revealing the deep curve of her cleavage, while the side-slits of her skirt left her thighs entirely exposed. It was her crimson 'A-Team' attire from her time serving the Alien God—a meticulously detailed qipao.
"Wait, isn't that...?"
I was momentarily stunned. The outfit was provocative enough on its own, but the sleeveless design left her shoulders and underarms brazenly exposed.
"The dress I wore in the Chinese Lostbelt. You remember it, don't you? It might be a bit uncomfortable for you, but I simply couldn't forget the way you looked at me when I wore this."
"It's just the clothes, right? You haven't suddenly reverted to your beastly instincts?"
"Of course not."
While I was still flustered, the Assassin glided over and clung to my side. She pulled my arm flush against her chest, her intention pure seduction. While the Foreigner's default was a sharp, striking suit, this was something else entirely. A skin-tight bodysuit or a qipao were far cries from everyday wear.
I wasn't complaining, but... was this really okay for the public?
'Well, as long as it looks good.'
Fortunately, the Foreigner didn't seem to mind. And naturally, I wasn't going to protest. We lived in a world where plenty of people walked around in blatant kimonos; traditional-ish attire surely fell within the acceptable range of eccentric fashion.
"Hmm... so that is the game you are playing? Very well, then so shall I."
Darkness, the Foreigner, followed suit, flanking my other side. With both of them pressing their soft weight against me, I felt like I was being flattened between two mountain ranges.
'I could get used to this.'
It was a bit suffocating, but I accepted the sensation gratefully. One has to enjoy this kind of bliss while it lasts.
"Master, you aren't uncomfortable, are you?"
"If there is anything you need—anything at all—please say the word. Even if that 'anything' is me..."
The two foxes whispered directly into my ears. The stimulation was... highly appropriate. Then, the phone rang, cutting through the thick atmosphere.
"Ah, I'll take that."
The Assassin, ever the professional secretary when business called, stood up to answer it. She was perfect at drawing a line between pleasure and work.
"Who is it?"
"This is the front desk. A Mr. Zenin Toji has asked to be connected. Is that acceptable?"
"Zenin... Ah, I see. Patch him through."
The Assassin nodded. She switched the call to speaker so I could hear the conversation clearly.
"Hello? Did it work?"
Toji's voice crackled through the line, sounding as lethargic as ever.
"Yes, Toji. Is everything alright?"
I leaned toward the phone. There was no need to shout from across the room and strain my throat.
"Thanks to you, I'm living quite the diligent life. Mostly just playing guide and letting you do the heavy lifting."
"That's good to hear."
"Yeah. Well, I've picked up a few decent leads, but I wanted to get your opinion. Want to meet in the lobby?"
"Works for me. When?"
"Now."
"Wait, you're already downstairs?"
"Figured it'd be faster to talk in person once I reached out. I'll be waiting."
The line went dead immediately. I appreciated his brevity.
"Let's head down."
"Yes, Master."
I descended to the lobby, flanked by the two foxes. I felt the weight of a thousand eyes—looks of wonder, envy, and confusion. It was a hotel, so the crowd was a mix of everyone imaginable.
"Yo, you made it? Having a beauty on each arm... I'm truly envious."
Toji waved from a circular seating area as we approached. There were plenty of empty spots.
"You aren't even a little bit envious."
I grinned and sat beside him. The two Koyanskayas took their places on either side of us like loyal sentinels. Toji might be a degenerate when his wife was gone, but with her alive, he was the picture of a one-woman man. He wasn't the type to eye other women.
"What, are you reading my mind? How did you know?"
"Just a feeling. Anyway, you said you had some leads for me?"
"Yeah. Since you wanted to catch your breath for a bit, I prioritized high-paying contracts."
Toji straightened up and began listing the commissions. They started at a few hundred thousand yen and climbed quickly. Some even touched the ten-million-yen mark. It kept Toji's wallet full and my influence growing. It was a perfect symbiosis. If Toji had to hunt the Cursed Spirits alone, it would be exploitation—but Koyanskaya was the one doing the killing.
"Anything catch your eye?" Toji asked after finishing his pitch.
"They all look decent. That's the problem."
"Hard to choose because they're all about the same?"
"Exactly."
"Then just pick a random order and get going. If they're all the same to you, it shouldn't matter which one we start with, right?"
He had a point. It was better than wasting time being indecisive.
"Let's do that then. Toji, you handle the scheduling."
"Got it. And hey, drop the formalities. You're the boss; just call me by my name."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. It's only natural for you to use informal speech with me anyway. Not many masters speak politely to their slaves."
Toji's lips twisted into a smirk. He called himself a slave, but he looked genuinely content.
"He certainly knows his place."
"He does indeed. He seems to understand the value of being taken in by Master. Quite the unusual man."
"Oh, definitely."
The two Koyanskayas spoke over us. It was a bit embarrassing. Koyanskaya of Light loved watching humans on the 'rollercoaster' of life, while Koyanskaya of Darkness had a penchant for domesticating humans. Yet right now, every word they spoke was overflowing with affection. It was a bit of a burden, albeit a grateful one.
"Understood. I'll plan the schedule and get back to you."
Caught between the two foxes, Toji let out a sigh, looking a bit awkward and stifled by their presence.
"Thanks for the hard work. Since you're already here, stay for lunch. It's on me."
"Oh? I never turn down a free meal."
Toji's eyes sparked at the mention of food. That part of him was exactly like the original story.
"Chinese food, though. I've been craving sweet and sour pork."
"A beggar can't be a chooser. I'll eat whatever you give me."
"Then shall we?"
When I stood up, the others followed immediately. Seeing them react like that, it really did feel like I was the one in charge. After lunch, Toji rubbed his stomach with a satisfied expression.
"Even the basic menu in a hotel restaurant is great. You get what you pay for."
"I'm glad you liked it. Plenty of hotel restaurants aren't worth the price tag."
"Yeah, tell me about it. It's depressing when you get a dud."
Toji sighed and sipped his tea. It was a high-grade brew, crisp and clean. It tasted more like toasted grain than leaves—rich, like high-end barley tea.
"By the way, I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? Go ahead."
Toji set his teacup down.
"Sae... my wife said she desperately wants to meet you and thank you properly. She asked if I could arrange something."
"Your wife?"
"Yeah. She's extremely grateful. I told her you were busy, so don't feel pressured. You can say no if you want. It's up to you."
He said it was up to me, but the answer was already obvious. It's hard to refuse a request like that, and I was genuinely curious about her. In the original timeline, she was a character who exited with barely a single line of dialogue. Besides, there was also baby Fushiguro—wait, Megumi. It wouldn't be bad to see them.
"Sure, why not?"
"Really? Thanks. She'll be thrilled."
"Don't mention it. But since we're meeting, why don't we make it a bit more special?"
"Special? How?"
Toji tilted his head, his eyes urging me to continue.
I cleared my throat, processing the information he had given me earlier. "That Inunaki Tunnel we visited before was in the Kyushu region, wasn't it?"
"Hmm? It was."
"And the haunted spot you mentioned in Fukuoka today is also in Kyushu?"
"Yeah. Wait, you want to head back down that way?"
I nodded. He was quick on the uptake.
"Exorcism and sightseeing. Two birds with one stone, right?"
"Sightseeing while exorcising... so an 'Exorcism Trip'?"
"That's basically all we've been doing. Eat, tear things apart... hearing it out loud, we really do sound like beasts."
"You said it."
We both laughed. It was a simple observation, but it struck a chord.
"Anyway, since we're going to Fukuoka for sightseeing, bring your wife along. I might feel like I'm crashing a family vacation, but it shouldn't be too bad, right?"
"If the boss orders it, it's happening. Besides, with a plan like that, it won't be uncomfortable at all."
"Perfect."
Destination set, appointment made. Perfect efficiency.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're ready, Toji. Though, will your wife be okay? Does she have to work or...?"
"She only just got out of her hospital bed. It's too early for her to work. Plus, she has Megumi to look after."
"Then you'll have to earn more as the head of the house. If there are any requests regarding Curse Users, bundle those in as well."
Hunting Curse Users was generally more lucrative than hunting Cursed Spirits because of the bounties involved. Toji nodded immediately.
"Curse Users have been a bit quiet lately... but they haven't disappeared. If we want to catch them, we can."
"Quiet? Why is that?"
"Because of Gojo Satoru."
Ah. I remembered that now. In the lore, Gojo Satoru's birth fundamentally changed the balance of the world. Both Cursed Spirits and Curse Users were forced to lie low. Curse Users, being human, were even more cautious; if they stood out too much, they'd be hunted down and killed by the strongest sorcerer. They stood a much better chance of survival if they simply stayed under the radar while the Jujutsu Sorcerers were busy dealing with Curses.
"Hard to say if that's a good thing for us or not. Let me know when you're ready."
"Will do. Thanks for the meal."
Toji stood up and left without a hint of lingering. His departure was so abrupt it left a strange emptiness behind.
'Curse Users, huh.'
So far, we had taken down three Curse Users in total. Not counting the one from the hospital, that left only two. Both had been utter trash, beyond salvation. Keeping them alive would have been more harmful than killing them. I wondered if Fukuoka had any Curse Users lurking in the shadows. And if so, what kind of scum would they be?
"Let's go."
I sighed and stood up. To be honest, I was less worried about the Curse Users and more terrified of the bill we were about to rack up at this hotel.