The incessant sound of cicadas fills the air.

The light of the sun, beginning to set in the west, shines brightly through the window.

That sunlight illuminates an amber-colored sphere—the relic of Harunaga Adashino.

I picked it up, feeling somewhat conflicted.

…What should I do with this?

As I stood there, staring at the relic in my hand, Yuki-onna spoke up beside me.

“Itsuki, what is that?”

“This is a relic. Monsters ranked Sixth Level and higher leave them behind when they die.”

“So, it’s a memento of that exorcist?”

“A memento… Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

A memento is typically something given by a dying person, but in the sense of being a keepsake, I suppose the term fits.

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“…I see. So, that exorcist is truly dead.”

“Yeah. He’s dead.”

Harunaga likely didn’t want to die.

In that sense, maybe we were the same. I didn’t want to die either, which is why I sought to become stronger.

But there was one key difference between us.

I sought strength within myself, to avoid death through my own growth.

Harunaga, on the other hand, used others and sought immortality by becoming a monster.

I tightened my grip on the relic and let out a deep breath.

A lesson, I thought.

Since being reborn, I’ve met many different people.

I wanted to be like my father and Renji-san, adults worthy of respect. I was inspired by Nina, who faced her fears head-on to chase her dreams. And I admired Aya-chan’s kindness, wanting to gain some of that for myself.

But Harunaga… he was the exact opposite. He was someone I could look at and firmly decide never to become like.

As I reflected on all of this, Yuki-onna let out a sigh of relief.

“…Well then, I shall take my leave.”

“Take your leave?”

But before I could ask further, Yuki-onna’s eyes changed from blue back to their natural black.

Aya-chan had returned, and the moment she did, she started panicking.

“W-wait, Itsuki-kun!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I remember everything now! Yuki-onna was freezing her own magic to protect me… She’s not a bad person, so please don’t exorcise her!”

Even in her flustered state, Aya-chan kept repeating that I shouldn’t exorcise Yuki-onna. I nodded in response.

“I won’t exorcise her.”

“R-really!?”

“Yeah. I can’t exorcise her.”

Yuki-onna was fully intent on protecting Aya-chan, and now she had retreated back inside her.

As exorcists, we don’t exorcise monsters just because they exist. We exorcise them because they harm people. If a monster doesn’t attack humans, then there’s no need to go out of our way to exorcise it.

“Th-thank goodness…”

Aya-chan’s smile of relief was genuine, a weight lifted off her shoulders.

I thought, for now at least, that the immediate crisis was over. As I pocketed the relic, I glanced between the hole I’d blown in the audiovisual room wall and the sight of Shirayuki-sensei sprinting toward us from the first-floor entrance.

I’m going to have to explain all of this, aren’t I?

Where do I even start?

I mulled over how best to explain the situation clearly, then decided the simplest solution was to tell Shirayuki-sensei everything.

So, I told her about my resonance with Yuki-onna inside Aya-chan. I explained that Yuki-onna had been manipulated and that it was Harunaga, the exorcist, who had been controlling her.

Once I finished, Shirayuki-sensei closed her eyes, placing her fingertips at her temples as she thought it over. Finally, she asked the most important question.

“So… Yuki-onna is a ‘demon,’ yet she’s on our side?”

“That’s right.”

“Mm…”

“And what will happen to Yuki-onna?”

I didn’t want Yuki-onna to be exorcised, but I couldn’t be sure if Shirayuki-sensei, my father, or even Renji-san would feel the same way.

However, Yuki-onna’s existence was already known to the adults. The only thing left was to prove that Yuki-onna was on Aya-chan’s side, and steer the situation toward not exorcising her.

As I racked my brain, Shirayuki-sensei slowly opened her mouth, as if she had dug deep into her memory.

“…Actually, there are some precedents for this. It’s not unheard of.”

“Monsters that side with humans?”

“Yes. In the 1960s, a child raised by a ‘demon’ was found in Kazakhstan. The demon raised twins who had lost their parents deep in the mountains.”

“What happened to the demon?”

“The children were handed over to local exorcists when they turned eight. The demon lived peacefully in the mountains with the humans until the twins turned twenty. After that, no one knows.”

“…I didn’t know demons like that existed.”

“They do, sometimes… There are exceptions. Have you ever heard the story ‘The Red Ogre Who Cried’?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it.”

“That’s another such tale. In general, demons that ally with humans are not exorcised. However, there are also many demons who pretend to be on our side while secretly devouring people… In fact, that’s more common.”

Despite her obvious concern, Shirayuki-sensei seemed determined to find a way to save Yuki-onna.

“So, we can’t just let a ‘demon’ claiming to be on our side roam free.”

“Then… what should we do?”

“Don’t worry! The exorcists of the past came up with a solution.”

“A solution…?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘Contract Magic.'”

Shirayuki-sensei lifted her head as she spoke.

“Contract Magic, also known as ‘刻術 (Kokujutsu)’—an ancient form of magic. Unlike modern Silveit, it’s very inefficient… but it’s been used for centuries to make contracts with demons.”

Ah, Contract Magic.

I had heard of it recently while on a mission with Irena-san. They had mentioned using it to force monsters to obey.

“I see… So we can use Contract Magic to secure Yuki-onna’s safety?”

“If Yuki-onna really is on our side, making a contract with her will ensure a certain level of safety.”

Hearing this, Yuki-onna, still in Aya-chan’s body, suddenly yelled out.

“I only care about protecting Aya! Don’t force me to protect others!”

It wasn’t Aya-chan speaking, but Yuki-onna. Her blue eyes gave her away instantly.

I thought she was going to retreat for good. This back-and-forth possession seemed almost too easy for her.

As I mused over this, Shirayuki-sensei hurriedly added, “The contract will be mutually agreed upon! If you’re only protecting Aya, that will be the content of the contract…”

“Very well, then.”

Satisfied, Yuki-onna nodded, and Aya-chan’s eyes returned to their normal black. Shirayuki-sensei sighed in relief before continuing.

“I’m the only one at this training camp who can use ‘Kokujutsu,’ so I’ll prepare the contract circle. Itsuki-kun, help me out—it’ll be good practice for you.”

“Understood.”

“Aya-san, you should watch and learn too!”

Following Shirayuki-sensei back into the training facility, I felt a sense of relief wash over me now that Yuki-onna’s safety was secured.

I decided to leave worrying about the broken wall—and the relic—for later.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep