Genichi sat at the desk in his apartment, a thick stack of documents spread out before him.
It contained all the information Haruno had compiled. She had gathered accounts from people who could see spirits, then filtered, compared, and verified their stories before consolidating everything into this report.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm patches of light across the pages.
Genichi's eyes moved line by line across the text. His expression remained calm, but the light tapping of his fingers against the desk betrayed how active his thoughts were.
Most of the material was useless.
Some claimed the spirits were the souls of deceased relatives who visited them in dreams. Others insisted they were manifestations of karmic debts from past lives, returning to collect what they were owed. A few even claimed the spirits were projections created by aliens who had reached Earth through some unknown method.
Genichi skipped over those accounts and marked only the useful information.
Several minutes later, his fingers stopped.
His gaze settled on a few lines Haruno had highlighted in red.
Spirits are born after humans die.
Spirits emerge from underground.
Gold can make physical contact with spirits.
Genichi frowned slightly.
Gold could touch spirits?
This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
He recalled that holy water and crosses had a suppressive effect on Fallen Angels in the High School DxD world.
Did gold have a similar effect on spirits in this world?
He couldn't be certain, but at the very least, it was a clue.
He continued reading.
The next section came from Mitsue, the elderly woman known as the Godmother.
Haruno had deliberately circled this passage in red and added several marks beside it to emphasize its importance.
As Genichi read, the tapping of his fingers gradually quickened.
Spirits grow stronger after attacking people who can see them.
Furthermore, certain spirits with sufficiently powerful obsessions can retain their intelligence.
Genichi leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
The information began fitting together in his mind like pieces of a puzzle.
Spirits were born from dead humans, but not all of them. Some emerged from underground.
That meant spirits had more than one origin.
Spirits could grow stronger by devouring their own kind, while people capable of seeing them were the finest food they could obtain.
Spirits could also retain their intelligence. As long as they possessed an obsession powerful enough to sustain them, they wouldn't deteriorate into beasts driven solely by slaughter.
Genichi closed his eyes as an idea flashed through his mind.
What would happen if those intelligent spirits could be controlled and commanded?
His fingers resumed tapping against the desk, moving faster and faster.
Spirit Tamer.
The term leaped into his mind like a bolt of lightning cutting through the darkness.
A Spirit Tamer was someone who commanded spirits.
He remembered encountering similar concepts in certain novels and anime. Through contracts or special abilities, Spirit Tamers controlled spirits and turned them into weapons, shields, eyes, and ears. The spirits became the foundation of their power in the world.
Genichi opened his eyes and looked down at his right hand.
The Boosted Gear rested quietly over his arm, its green jewel gleaming faintly beneath the sunlight.
He could wield a Sacred Gear. He could command magic and shadows.
Could he command spirits as well?
And if he could, what would that mean?
It would mean that he could possess an entire army of spirits in this world.
They would feel no fear, suffer no exhaustion, and never betray him.
They would be perfect soldiers, perfect tools, and perfect weapons.
But Genichi was thinking beyond that.
He wanted to create Spirit Tamers as an entire profession.
He didn't merely want to become a Spirit Tamer himself. He wanted to give others the ability to become Spirit Tamers.
He would grant them power, allow them to command spirits, send them to fight other spirits, and have them investigate the true origin of those beings.
Meanwhile, he would remain behind the scenes and control everything.
The instant that thought flashed through his mind, Genichi experienced a strange premonition.
It was indistinct, like something trembling gently within the depths of his soul, or a distant voice calling out to him from somewhere far away.
He closed his eyes and carefully examined the sensation.
If he created the Spirit Tamer profession, it would bring him tremendous benefits.
Not ordinary benefits, either.
It would be enough to fundamentally transform him, break through his current bottleneck, and allow him to advance to Satan-class.
Genichi's fingers stopped tapping.
He opened his eyes, and his gaze sharpened.
Spirit Tamer wasn't an ordinary profession.
It involved souls, spirits, and the fundamental power of this world.
If he created the profession, he would become its source.
Every Spirit Tamer's power would originate from him.
Every spirit controlled by a Spirit Tamer would possess some form of connection to him.
Genichi's breathing quickened.
He thought of the Schrift.
He granted others power, and as they grew stronger, a portion of that growth flowed back to him.
Unfortunately, the feedback from the Schrift was far too weak, almost insignificant.
But what about Spirit Tamers?
If he created this profession and became the source of every Spirit Tamer, how enormous would the benefits be?
Ten times greater?
A hundred times?
A thousand?
Genichi didn't know, but he was certain the amount would be astronomical.
Would that be enough to advance him to Satan-class?
He rose from his chair, walked to the window, and gazed up at the sky.
The sunlight remained bright, and not a single cloud could be seen. Yet within his heart, a storm was gathering.
Artificially creating an intelligent spirit wouldn't be easy.
Turning that spirit into a supernatural entity he could command would be even more difficult.
Spirits were formed from humanity's negative emotions and obsessions. Creating one that possessed intelligence would require extreme conditions: a powerful obsession, intense emotions, and an overwhelming desire.
Even if he managed to create one, controlling it would be another matter entirely.
Spirits weren't mindless tools. They possessed their own consciousness, thoughts, and desires.
They wouldn't willingly submit to someone's commands unless he could offer them something they wanted.
Genichi's fingers tapped lightly against the windowsill.
He recalled the information Mitsue had provided. Certain spirits with exceptionally powerful obsessions could preserve their intelligence.
Intelligence was the key to controlling them.
A mindless spirit understood nothing except slaughter and consumption. It couldn't be reasoned with, much less controlled.
An intelligent spirit, however, could negotiate terms, make deals, and establish some form of contractual relationship.
Genichi's gaze deepened.
He needed an intelligent spirit.
One that was willing to submit to his control.
One that could become the prototype for every future Spirit Tamer.
This wasn't something he could accomplish in a day or two. It would take time, patience, and countless attempts.
But he had no intention of giving up.
What if he succeeded?
Genichi returned to the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote several words across a blank sheet of paper.
Spirit Tamer Project.
Then he sat down and began listing everything he needed to do.
First, locate an intelligent spirit.
Then, attempt to control it.
Every step would be difficult. Every step could end in failure.
But he had to try.
He had a premonition that if this plan succeeded, he would break through the bottleneck of Ultimate-class and advance to Satan-class.
(End of Chapter)
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