Tsuchimikado Natsume opened her mouth but stammered, unsure of what to say. She had come with resolve, but now that she was face-to-face with Akiyama Ren, she found herself completely overwhelmed by his presence.
Standing beside her, Dairenji Suzuka clicked her tongue in annoyance. This girl is supposed to be Yakou's reincarnation? Seriously? Her gaze drifted back to Ren, and without hesitation, she stepped forward.
"We came here to invite you to enroll in the Onmyo Academy," Suzuka declared bluntly. "But honestly, that's a waste of time now. You're clearly beyond that. So, we've decided on something better—we'll stay by your side and learn directly from you. Like the Magic you taught to Kyōko."
The air chilled around them.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, turning toward Kurahashi Kyōko with a subtle but unmistakable sharpness.
Kyōko immediately flinched, raising her hands in panic. "I—I only mentioned it to my father! I didn't tell anyone else, I swear!"
Ren let out a slow breath, but his voice carried a cutting coldness. "Before I shared even the most basic principles of Magic with you, I told you explicitly—keep it secret."
"But I gave you my family's Onmyōdō techniques in return!" she blurted out, her tone tinged with indignation. "Wasn't that a fair exchange?!"
Before Ren could respond, a figure flashed through the air.
Maki Zen'in appeared beside Kyōko in an instant and delivered two crisp slaps across her cheeks. The blows echoed across the courtyard.
"You complete idiot," Maki snapped, eyes burning with fury. "You think Ren needs your family's dusty old rituals to learn Onmyōdō? If he wanted them, he could reconstruct every seal and mantra just by watching once. The Magic he gave you is unlike anything this world's ever seen—do you even understand its value?"
(A bit of an overreaction, it's to be expected of the Chinese though. Maybe I should rewrite this scene?)
Kyōko stared at Maki in stunned silence, her face flushed and eyes wide in disbelief.
Ren remained expressionless. "You didn't pass the technique on to anyone else, right?"
Kyōko shook her head quickly, lips trembling. "No. Just… just that one mention to my father. I swear."
"Good," Ren said flatly. "From now on, unless I give explicit permission, you are not to teach, share, or even speak about Magic again. Understood?"
Kyōko nodded frantically. "Y-Yes! I understand completely!"
The others in the courtyard—Onmyoji and Jujutsu sorcerers alike—watched in awe. It was becoming clear: Akiyama Ren had introduced something that transcended both Onmyōdō and Jujutsu sorcery.
A new, arcane system.
Magic.
And he had only shared it with two people—Maki Zen'in and Kurahashi Kyōko.
The implications were massive. Those who had once believed Onmyōdō or Jujutsu was the pinnacle of supernatural arts now found themselves staring into an abyss of potential they couldn't yet grasp.
Off to the side, Yotsuya Miko watched the unfolding scene with glassy eyes.
She had only come here because of Ren. In her world, she was just a girl who could see ghosts—terrifying ones, at that. She had never belonged to this world of elite sorcerers and supernatural orders. And yet, what she had just witnessed today… names like Jujutsu High, Onmyo Academy, Magic, Exorcism—it was like the veil had finally been lifted.
So all these people… they're not normal. They're not even close.
And Ren? He wasn't just strong. The woman named Utahime had casually stated he was the strongest.
If she could just learn a little from him—something, anything—it might be enough to survive the spirits that plagued her every night.
Niguredou Yuria, standing nearby, had a different spark in her eyes.
Since she was a child, she'd possessed a pair of low-tier Onmyōdō Eyes—barely enough to see weak spirits and lingering apparitions. But even that tiny glimpse into the hidden world had changed her life. She had always believed she was chosen.
Until now, she'd been hoping to apprentice under some local Onmyoji. But now, standing before Akiyama Ren, she knew without a doubt:
This is the real deal. This is the master I've been searching for.
She clenched her fists, eyes burning with determination. She couldn't let this chance slip away.
While the girls processed their thoughts, Dairenji Suzuka stepped forward again, gaze unwavering.
"Akiyama Ren," she said. "If you teach me Magic, I'll leave the Onmyo Agency and serve you—body and soul."
Everyone turned toward her in shock.
Ren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's a bold offer. Why are you so desperate to learn Magic?"
"I want to bring my brother back," she answered without hesitation.
Ren's expression remained calm. "Doesn't the Taizan Fukun Ritual in Onmyōdō allow for spiritual return?"
Suzuka's fists tightened at her sides. "Reincarnation and resurrection aren't the same. I tried performing the ritual—secretly. It failed. I paid a heavy price for it, too. The Onmyo Agency arrested me, sealed my spiritual energy, and locked me away. They only released me this time because they wanted me to get close to you."
After listening, Akiyama Ren silently noted how drastically the sequence of events had diverged.
In the original timeline—at least according to what remained of the world's fractured fate—Dairenji Suzuka's forbidden use of the Taizan Fukun Ritual had been the catalyst for everything. Her failure was supposed to come at the hands of Tsuchimikado Natsume and Harutora Tsuchimikado's intervention. But now?
The timing was earlier. Natsume and Harutora hadn't even moved, and Suzuka had still failed.
Ren's expression didn't shift, but inwardly, he acknowledged it: This world's already beyond canon. When power systems from multiple anime converge, narrative causality becomes warped. I can't rely on old scripts anymore.
Turning his gaze back to Dairenji Suzuka, his voice dropped to a level of absolute authority. "If you're going to follow me, it won't be half-hearted. Loyalty is non-negotiable. If you ever dare to scheme against me, betray me, or move behind my back—I won't just erase you. I'll erase your very soul."
The air thickened with pressure.
Suzuka didn't flinch. "I accept. Fully and without hesitation."
Ren studied her for a moment before nodding slightly, a wry edge to his voice. "Then from now on, you'll be my personal maid. You answer only to me."
Gasps and shuffles of surprise rippled through the group.
All eyes turned next to Tsuchimikado Natsume. She stood there frozen like a student who hadn't studied for the exam but was still determined to pass. Her hands clenched at her sides.
"I… I also want to stay by your side!" she said at last, voice wavering but eyes steady.
Ren simply nodded. "That's fine. You can stay."
But his tone shifted slightly, reminding them all, "However, don't misunderstand—I'm not teaching any more of you Magic. Not unless I choose to."
There was a collective sigh of disappointment among the group—especially from the younger Onmyoji and sorcerers present—but none dared complain.
"It doesn't matter," Natsume replied with a calm smile. "I'm not here to chase your power. I just want to carry out the principal's request."
Her honesty didn't escape Ren's notice. He respected her clarity, even if her role had started as someone else's pawn.
With matters settled, Ren stood and addressed Sakura. "Show them to the guest rooms."
Sakura bowed respectfully. "As you command, Master."
She turned to the group. "Please, follow me."
Most of the girls obediently followed, eager to secure a spot close to Ren's mysterious aura.
However, Yotsuya Miko, Yurikawa Hana, and Niguredou Yuria didn't budge.
They weren't part of the Onmyoji world. They had come not for residence, but for refuge—from spirits, from curses, from fear. Even so, Miko glanced longingly at the peaceful home. For once, she hadn't seen a single ghost since she arrived.
Niguredou Yuria, too, hesitated. Her Onmyōdō Eyes still pulsed faintly, drawn to the immense energies around Ren. If only I could stay longer… But reality called. Their families wouldn't allow them to vanish into another world.
Later, Ren handed temporary instruction duties over to Suzuka. "Help them get the basics down. Wardcraft, purification, low-grade exorcisms."
With that done, Ren took Maki Zen'in and visited the nearest real estate office. Within the hour, he purchased the villa next door.
Upon returning, he released his stored Shikigami—beings from the deepest layers of the exorcist hierarchy.
Yuki-Onna. Hakuro. Ubume. Ghost Messengers White and Black. And finally—Demon Sword Princess and Takiyashahime.
The moment they appeared, the air trembled.
Kyōko, Natsume, and Suzuka—each trained Onmyoji—stood dumbfounded.
These weren't just powerful familiars. These were legendary-grade Shikigami, names whispered in the Onmyo Academy as unattainable dreams. To own even one would be the life's achievement of most exorcists.
Utahime and the Curse Art users froze as well. Even without formal training in Onmyōdō, their instincts screamed at them. The spiritual pressure exuding from Yuki-Onna, Ubume, and the Ghost Messengers was unmistakably Special Grade.
And then there were two that went beyond.
The Demon Sword Princess and Takiyashahime radiated presence akin to a domain—a weight of existence comparable to the elite Shikigami of myth, beings like Mahoraga, the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General.
Utahime's lips trembled. "This… this isn't just a special grade… It's another realm entirely…"