Kyoto, in a private car bound for the Zenin main residence.
The interior of the car was deathly silent, save for the low rumble of the engine.
Zenin Naoya sat slumped in the back seat, his expensive handmade kimono drenched in cold sweat. His right hand trembled slightly as he gripped the thin sheet of white paper—the Debt Acknowledgment he had been forced to sign at Jujutsu High.
"One billion..."
Naoya gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
For the Zenin family with its vast assets, one billion yen was not an impossible sum, but it wasn't a small amount either.
The crux of the matter was that he couldn't use the family's public accounts.
If he let that old man who did nothing but drink all day know that the proud leader of the Hei and a strong contender for the next head of the family had been beaten like a dog by an outsider using his own family's technique and forced to sign such a humiliating IOU...
His claim to the succession would definitely be shaken.
Even that brat Fushiguro Megumi, whom he considered trash, might be pushed to the forefront because of this.
"I can't let anyone know..."
A look of ruthlessness flashed in Naoya's eyes. He pulled a lighter from his robe, intending to burn the cursed paper to ash.
As long as the evidence was gone, what could a merchant do to him?
Click.
The flame rose, licking the edge of the paper.
However, something terrifying happened. The seemingly ordinary A4 paper remained completely unharmed in the fire; not even a scorch mark was left behind.
Immediately after, a line of blood-red text abruptly surfaced on the paper, while simultaneously projecting directly onto Naoya's retinas:
[SYSTEM: WARNING: DEBTOR ATTEMPT TO DESTROY CONTRACT DETECTED.]
[SYSTEM: BREACH OF CONTRACT PENALTY: UPON EXPIRATION OR BREACH, THE DEBTOR'S INNATE TECHNIQUE "PROJECTION SORCERY" WILL BE FORCIBLY STRIPPED, AND CURSED ENERGY WILL BE PERMANENTLY WITHDRAWN.]
"What?!"
Naoya's hand jerked in shock, dropping the lighter onto the floor mat.
Stripped of his technique? Withdrawing his cursed energy?
To Naoya, who viewed power and bloodline as his life, becoming a monkey like Maki was ten thousand times more horrifying than death!
"That bastard... he actually used a Binding Vow?!"
Naoya's face turned pale. In that moment, he truly realized how terrifying the merchant named Hayashi En was. It wasn't simple extortion; it was absolute dominance at the level of the laws of reality.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Naoya pounded the seat in a frenzy.
"Is that... the only way?"
He looked up at the Zenin manor looming outside the window, a flicker of madness in his eyes.
Since he couldn't use the public funds, he would have to use his private savings. And if that wasn't enough...
He would empty out the cursed tools from the Storehouse!
If he secretly sold or used the Grade 1 cursed tools that no one used as collateral, raising a billion shouldn't be hard. As for being discovered later?
He'd just kill the merchant. With no witness left, who could say anything!
...
Late at night, Zenin Residence, the Storehouse.
Two guards were slumped unconscious at the entrance—Naoya's doing.
A stealthy figure slipped into the treasury that held the family's legacy.
"This is a fragment of the Grade 1 cursed tool, Black Rope? Worthless..."
"This... Special Grade cursed tool Playful Cloud? No, this is too conspicuous. The old man checks it often."
Naoya rummaged through the crates like a common thief in his own home.
The usually arrogant young master was now forced into such shady business just to pay off a debt.
...
Two days later, Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.
Inside Hayashi En's shop, the payment had arrived.
Just as Hayashi En was preparing to convert all the money into points.
"Ding-ling—"
The wind chime at the door rang.
But there was no sound of the door opening.
A tall figure teleported in front of Hayashi En's counter without warning.
He wore a black blindfold and the high school's teacher uniform, holding a bag of freshly bought Kikufuku.
"Morning, Hayashi En. I heard you gave Zenin Naoya a good lesson for Megumi's sake."
"What, are you here to thank me? No need for thanks, but I wouldn't mind if you paid some gratitude money instead."
Gojo Satoru laughed, then continued.
"Hey, Hayashi En."
Gojo's voice dropped, carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Megumi said... you used Domain Amplification?"
"That's a high-level barrier technique that even average Special Grade curses can't master. As far as I know, it's extremely difficult."
Gojo pointed to his eyes.
"My Six Eyes tell me that you originally had no innate technique, and even your cursed energy was faint. But now..."
"Not only do you have two techniques, but your body and cursed energy are at a Special Grade level."
"Are you... really human?"
Faced with the questioning of the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, Junpei was so terrified he didn't even dare to breathe.
But Hayashi En simply took a calm sip of tea and adjusted his glasses.
"Mr. Gojo, what do you think defines a human?"
Hayashi En didn't answer directly, but asked in return.
"To cry, to laugh, to hustle for money, to risk one's life to protect something... that is a human."
"As for the source of power..."
Hayashi En set down his teacup and looked directly at Gojo's blindfold.
"In this world infested with cursed spirits where death can strike at any moment, as long as one can kill curses and protect students... what does it matter if one uses cursed energy or the power of wealth?"
Gojo stared at Hayashi En for a few seconds.
Subsequently, he suddenly grinned, straightened his back, and returned to his usual carefree demeanor.
"Fair enough."
"As long as you don't side with those higher-ups and don't want to destroy the world, I don't care."
Gojo picked up a Kikufuku and walked out while eating.
"But, a word of advice."
"You've seriously offended the Zenin family this time. Naoya might be an idiot, but those old fossils in the family aren't easy to deal with."
With that, Gojo teleported away.
Hayashi En looked at the empty doorway, his eyes shifting slightly.
He glanced at the system panel where the massive amount of points had just arrived.
[SYSTEM: CURRENT POINTS: 185,000.]
[SYSTEM: DING!]
[SYSTEM: TOTAL REVENUE THRESHOLD REACHED. CURSED SPIRIT RECOVERY FUNCTION UNLOCKED.]
[SYSTEM: THIS IS A TIER 2 SHOP FUNCTION.]
[SYSTEM: ANY RECENTLY DECEASED GRADE 1 OR HIGHER CURSED SPIRIT CAN BE RECOVERED VIA THE SYSTEM ITEM "HUNYUAN BALL" AND CONVERTED INTO POINTS BY THE SHOP.]
[SYSTEM: IF THE SHOP OWNER PERSONALLY KILLS THE CURSED SPIRIT, RECOVERY POINTS WILL BE INCREASED BY 30%.]
Hayashi En suddenly sat up straight.
Since transmigrating, this was the first time he had seen the system change.
"Hunyuan Ball? Why does that sound so much like the style of the Great Xia? The system's items were all supposed to be Japanese-styled..."
Hayashi En opened the mall and quickly found the Hunyuan Ball inside.
It was a standard sphere; the top half was red and the bottom half was white.
A black band separated the two halves, with a circular button in the middle.
[SYSTEM: CURSED TOOL NAME: HUNYUAN BALL]
[SYSTEM: ORIGIN: STATION NO. 8 EXCHANGE SYSTEM MALL]
[SYSTEM: ATTRIBUTE: CAPTURE.]
[SYSTEM: DESCRIPTION: A BALL THAT CAN CAPTURE DECEASED CURSED SPIRITS.]
[SYSTEM: EFFECT: CAPTURES DECEASED CURSED SPIRITS.]
[SYSTEM: NOTE: WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? ISN'T THE FUNCTION OBVIOUS ENOUGH?]
[SYSTEM: PRICE: 1,000 POINTS.]
Hayashi En looked at the exchanged Hunyuan Ball and pondered for a moment.
"This is a freaking Poké Ball! What 'Hunyuan Ball'? It really is a Japanese product after all!"
Hayashi En let out a long breath and put away the Hunyuan Ball.
To be honest, the system's new function was quite useful.
Since cursed spirits could be recycled for points, the natural disasters in the upcoming Shibuya Incident would be premium customers.
Plus, he could give the Hunyuan Balls to others and have them work for him.
It was a beautiful thought.
Just as Hayashi En was thinking about who to turn into his employee, a video call window suddenly popped up on his computer.
Hayashi En raised an eyebrow and answered the call.
A handsome young man appeared on the screen.
"Hello there, Muta Kokichi. You seem to be doing well."
"Thanks to you, Mr. Hayashi En. After the last course of treatment, I've basically fully recovered."
Hayashi En smiled.
"So, why are you contacting me this time?"
A grave expression appeared on Muta Kokichi's face.
"Indeed, Mr. Hayashi En. There's currently a very difficult situation that I hope to get your help with..."
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