Chapter 1 – Pickup

My little brother and I were born into a poor family, but even while we struggled to get by, we still lived happy days.

“Moooom! I sold my clothes properly!!”

“Thanks, sweetie. That’s money Hanako earned, so go buy something you like.”

“Okay, got it! C’mon, Haruta, let’s go!”

“Yeah!”

Clutching the little money we had, I headed into town with my brother.

A run-down park, a shopping street packed with closed shutters, the lively electronic noises drifting in from a neighbor’s house.

This town we’d grown used to was our entire world—and it was completely normal to us.

“Mooom! Here, this is for you! Haruta and I picked it together!!”

“Mooom, for youuu!”

In our hands were red carnations, and their sharp, clean scent brought a refreshing feel to our six-mat room.

“My… are you sure…?”

“Yeah! Mom, thank you for everything!!”

“Thank you!!”

“Ugh… I’m the one who should be thanking you… Hanako, Haruta, really…!”

Maybe this is what the words “true happiness” are meant to describe.

When the three of us hugged, Mom’s warmth and Haruta’s warmth seeped through my whole body, and I could feel my heart filling up.

This life was fine just the way it was—as long as moments like this could go on forever.

That’s what we thought.

◇《POV Change: ??? → Protagonist》

In this world, there is cursed energy—and things like cursecraft.

What greeted me after reincarnation was Japan: a place where monsters called curse spirits roam, and curse sorcerers fight back against them.

I, who was given the name Miyako Renma, apparently had an extremely rare “Unique Curse Technique.”

Being gifted, of course I spent my childhood getting praised and hyped up by everyone around me, and I was a little…… no, I was pretty damn full of myself.

I mean, compared to my previous life, I was blessed beyond belief in this one.

I had a good-looking face, good grades, talent for cursecraft—and I was even surrounded by cute girls.

I wanted more praise. I wanted more attention. If I’m being greedy, I even thought about having a harem……

───Until that incident happened.

After that, three years passed. I moved on to a high school far away, avoided communicating with people around me, and lived the same painfully familiar loner life.

When the incident was reported, my real name had been withheld under juvenile law, which was a relief—no one here knows the old me.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt, but it’s something I’m used to, so I can endure it.

I went home without saying much of anything and opened the door to my one-person apartment.

After a light meal, I dressed in black and spoke to my empty room.

“Yuuri, what’s today’s report?”

“The Shogan-gumi remnants have moved their hideout to Kitaharu Town. They have kidnapped more than a dozen children from the surrounding area and are preparing to incarnate a Grade Two curse spirit. The detailed location data is here.”

“Got it.”

Curse spirits, beings of the spirit realm, normally can’t interfere with objects in the living world—and the reverse is true as well.

Bridging that gap is an energy called cursed energy, which curse spirits and curse sorcerers use to interfere with each other’s worlds.

“Yuuri, here. Today’s reward.”

“This is……! Yajiro Bakery’s cream bread! And the limited thirty servings, too!?…… Are you truly sure, My Master?”

“Tell me what you think later, okay? I’m curious about the taste, too.”

“Understood. With sincere gratitude, I will compile my impressions into a report for you later.”

Yuuri used to be a worthless curse spirit whose very existence was shaky, but after I made a contract with her and gave her power, she’s served as an excellent intel agent.

More than anything, she’s a huge eater who loves to eat.

When I feed her something good like this, she thanks me like crazy, so it feels better than eating it myself.

“Alright. Let’s go, Yuuri.”

“Yes, My Master.”

After she said that, Yuuri sank down into my shadow.

Blending into the darkness, I sprinted across building rooftops.

The chill of rain-soaked concrete traveled through my shoes and into my feet, but an excitement that far surpassed it turned into heat and drove my body forward.

When I glanced down at street level, I saw several patrol cars moving around, and I understood how serious this was.

But this was cursecraft crime—ordinary cops wouldn’t stand a chance.

In no time at all I reached the target, knocked out the two guards in an instant, and activated my streaming drone.

If I did it after going inside, some idiot would pinpoint the address and try to rush the place.

-ugh he’s here

-evening

-heard it’s execution time

-where is this?

-hyahha!!

-waited for this

My regulars left scattered comments in the log.

“Targets are kidnappers. Rescuing kids. Mosaic on.”

-k

-mosaic on, got it

-yeah, kids obviously

-good on you for being considerate

-hyahha!!

-go teach those kidnappers a lesson already

After I briefly told them what today was about, I poured cursed energy into my right hand and headed deeper into the abandoned building.

◇《POV Change: Renma → ???》

The sound of rain echoed coldly, and inside the dim building, an even heavier, suffocating tension hung in the air.

“Hey, you assholes still at it?!”

A burly yakuza’s shout rattled my ears, and several men who looked like his underlings hurried their work.

On the ground was a distorted magic circle.

Line after line formed a strange language, and even though it was unfinished, a vile presence seeped out of it.

My little brother Haruta, lying beside me, still hadn’t woken up.

Ever since he took the enraged yakuza’s kick to the face, he’d been like that.

What if he can’t be saved…? That ominous thought surfaced, and my breath caught in my throat.

Before I knew it, tears welled up again.

I desperately held back the voice that was about to spill out, and swallowed the tears that touched my lips.

My hands were tied behind my back—I couldn’t even wipe them away.

“B-Boss!! The ritual prep is complete!!!”

“You’re late, dumbass!!! Hurry up and offer up the brats already!! Got it?!?!”

“Y-Yes, sir!!!”

The children around us were tossed into the circle one after another.

Their bodies hit roughly, and I could hear bones creaking—but the men kept working without caring at all.

About eight kids piled up inside the circle, and finally the men’s hands reached for Haruta.

“……! W-Wait—”

“Sh-shut up!!!!”

“Ghk.“

A sharp kick drove into my stomach, and what was in my stomach surged up into my mouth.

Vomit leaked out of my hyperventilating mouth, and what dripped down stained my clothes.

“That’s disgusting.”

They grabbed me by the collar and threw me onto the pile of kids like they were tossing out trash.

My legs were bound together so I couldn’t run, and the foot of a child struggling desperately slammed into my face.

“Waaahhh!”

“Moooommm!”

“Hic… ugh…!”

“D-Don’t k-kill me!”

“W-w-waaahhh!”

The children’s screams tore at my ears.

They grew so loud I couldn’t even hear the yakuza yelling anymore—shaking my brain until it felt like it would burst from anxiety and confusion, amplifying my fear.

I almost got swept up and started crying too, but when I saw Haruta in my vision, I bit down hard on my lip.

I can’t show Haruta a scared face.

Because as his big sister, I swore I’d protect Haruta to the end.

“HEY, YOU BRATS!!! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTHS!!!!”

The yakuza’s threats brought silence over the scene.

Everyone’s attention focused on him, and then we noticed what was in his right hand.

It filled a red plastic container to the brim, giving off a distinctive stench I’d smelled before.

He planted his foot on the children, and that liquid───kerosene poured down from the top of the pile.

The kerosene soaked my hair and ran onto my eyelids.

I squeezed my eyes shut on reflex, but it slid into my mouth when I opened it to breathe, spreading a gritty, awful feeling across my whole mouth.

With a pop, I realized the flame of the lighter in his hand had been lit.

───Ah… we’re going to be burned to death any moment now.