Making a contract with Yuki-onna should have been the solution to the issue, but things didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped.

Because of the nature of the situation, I had to run everything by both my father and Renji-san. Thankfully, convincing my father went rather smoothly.

After explaining everything that had happened with Yuki-onna, he simply nodded and said, “Understood.” That was it. It felt too easy, but I suppose my father believed that I wasn’t lying.

The real issue, however, was Renji-san. He was much more concerned about whether Yuki-onna would truly avoid causing harm to Aya-chan, and he spent hours questioning Yuki-onna to be sure.

It’s odd to call that an “issue,” though. Renji-san’s reaction was actually quite normal.

He and Yuki-onna—who had taken over Aya-chan’s body—talked for a good two or three hours. I was there for part of it, but Shirayuki-sensei called me away to help prepare the contract circle, so I didn’t hear everything.

By the time I returned to the room after setting up the contract circle, Renji-san and Aya-chan were smiling and chatting. The conclusion, from what I gathered, was that as long as Yuki-onna agreed not to harm anyone, there wouldn’t be a problem.

It was clear that this was the best compromise we could come to.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if Yuki-onna can leave Aya-chan’s body. I’ll have to ask about that if I ever get the chance.

As I pondered this, sitting next to Aya-chan, Shirayuki-sensei laid out the contract circle on the table, showing it to Renji-san for his approval.

The process of making the contract circle was quite interesting. What surprised me most was that we used actual ink to write it. Yes, that’s right—ink, like the kind used for calligraphy.

Apparently, even in modern schools, they still teach calligraphy starting from the third grade. It had been a while since I last saw ink, probably not since my middle school days in my previous life.

We ground the ink on an inkstone, slowly mixing in magical energy using Silveit. The result was an ink infused with magic.

With this ink, we wrote out the contract, and then Shirayuki-sensei drew a strange geometric design at the bottom of the page, which looked almost like a magic circle.

The final step involved flowing Yuki-onna’s magic into the contract’s design and resonating it to seal the agreement.

As I watched Renji-san review the contract, my father, sitting next to me, made a quiet remark.

“It’s rare to see something like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Yuki-onna’s situation.”

“Yeah?”

I tilted my head in confusion, unsure of what he was trying to say. My father gently explained.

“People who are continuously exposed to ‘demons’ often turn into monsters themselves, what we call ‘generi.’ Such individuals must be exorcised, often before they ever kill anyone.”

“…Right.”

It was the same thing he had told me when we were trying to save Hina.

It’s a harsh reality. Exorcists, who aim to protect as many people as possible, often have to make difficult decisions. How much should we listen to someone who’s turned into a monster? I still don’t know the answer to that. It’s a complicated issue.

I understand why some exorcists choose to exorcise without hearing out those who have turned into monsters. One mistake could cost them their lives.

“But from what I’ve heard, Yuki-onna didn’t kill anyone before she encountered exorcists.”

“That’s right. She didn’t kill anyone.”

I can still recall the intense hunger Yuki-onna felt when she faced humans, and the incredible strength of her will to suppress it.

“A ‘demon’ like that… I’ve only heard of them in legends. Now, she’s even willing to enter into a contract to protect a child. It’s like something out of a fairy tale.”

“…Yeah.”

“It would be wonderful if all demons were like her, but… I doubt it.”

“Agreed.”

I nodded in response to my father’s idealistic sentiment.

Yuki-onna’s case might tempt some to believe that other monsters could be reasoned with in the same way, but that’s wishful thinking. Most monsters don’t have her level of self-control, and none of them can speak like she does. Very few, if any, could resist the urge to attack humans.

As I mulled this over, Renji-san finished reviewing the contract and handed it back to Shirayuki-sensei.

Since there were no changes, Shirayuki-sensei called upon Aya-chan to summon Yuki-onna.

“H-here’s the contract,” she said nervously.

“Let me see it.”

Yuki-onna took the paper from Shirayuki-sensei, her eyes scanning it from top to bottom. After reading it over two or three times, she raised her head.

“This will do.”

“V-very well. Let’s proceed with the contract.”

Shirayuki-sensei carefully wrapped Silveit around her thumb, then pressed her thumb against the circular pattern at the bottom of the contract.

The instant she did so, the inked pattern began to glow, pulsing with light.

As I watched the contract seem to come to life, Shirayuki-sensei turned to Yuki-onna and spoke gently.

“Yuki-onna-san, please wrap Silveit around your thumb and press it here, on the contract seal.”

“Like this…?” .net

Yuki-onna mimicked Shirayuki-sensei, wrapping Silveit around her thumb and showing it to me. When I nodded in confirmation, she pressed her thumb against the seal.

It reminded me of something I’d seen on TV or social media—a scene where someone cut their thumb with a sword and pressed it against a contract. I think it was called a blood seal or something.

I wasn’t sure about the exact term, but it felt similar to that.

The moment Yuki-onna stamped her magical seal on the contract, green Silveit flowed out from the contract’s lines, enveloping her like a protective barrier.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. By the time I opened my eyes again, the Silveit had vanished.

But Yuki-onna didn’t appear any different. At least, nothing about her outward appearance seemed to have changed.

“From now on, you won’t be able to harm humans. If you break the contract, you’ll lose 90% of your magical power.”

“It’s a meaningless contract. As long as I can protect Aya, that’s all that matters.”

With that, Yuki-onna crossed her arms, declaring her disinterest, and disappeared back into Aya-chan. Watching her vanish, I instinctively reached into my pocket, feeling the relic of Raikoudoji.

Come to think of it, Yuki-onna was originally human, even though she became a Sixth-Level monster. Harunaga, on the other hand… well, he was a “worm,” but still something made by humans.

So, what about Raikoudoji?

That thought lingered in my mind, but before I could dwell on it further, Shirayuki-sensei broke the silence. She was busy wrapping up the contract process, gently folding the papers and putting them aside. I could tell that even though she had finished the ritual, her mind was still racing, possibly reflecting on what had just transpired.

Aya-chan, who was back to herself, seemed relieved. Her face softened, and she looked around as if she had just woken up from a long, exhausting dream. It was a stark contrast to the intensity from just moments ago when Yuki-onna had taken over her body.

“Thank you, Shirayuki-sensei,” I said, feeling the weight of the situation finally lift from my shoulders.

She smiled, but it was a tired smile. “You did well, Itsuki-kun. Contracts like these are rare, and… honestly, I’ve never done one like this before.”

I nodded. This situation wasn’t normal by any means. The idea of a “demon” or “spirit” forming a protective contract with a human was something out of legends. It wasn’t supposed to happen in the real world. Yet here we were.

As Aya-chan stood beside me, still processing everything, I realized how much had changed in just a short period of time. We had gone from dealing with a mysterious, potentially dangerous spirit to forming an alliance with her. And now, the contract ensured that Yuki-onna wouldn’t harm anyone.

Or at least, that was the hope.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Aya-chan asked, her voice quiet but filled with concern. She was talking about Yuki-onna, of course. Despite everything, she seemed to genuinely care for the spirit that had taken residence inside her.

“She’ll be fine,” I reassured her. “She just needs time to adjust. It’s a lot to ask, after everything that’s happened.”

Aya-chan nodded, still looking a bit unsure but trusting my words nonetheless.

Shirayuki-sensei packed away the remaining tools she had used to prepare the contract, and Renji-san, who had been observing from the side, finally spoke up.

“This will have to be reported to the Exorcist Association,” he said, his tone grave. “They need to know about Yuki-onna’s situation, and more importantly, how this contract was formed.”

I wasn’t surprised. Something like this couldn’t stay secret. The Association would want to monitor Yuki-onna, perhaps even keep tabs on Aya-chan to make sure nothing went wrong.

“Do you think they’ll be okay with it?” I asked, voicing the concern that had been on my mind since the contract was sealed.

Renji-san crossed his arms and sighed. “They won’t like it, but with the contract in place, they might let it slide. If Yuki-onna stays true to her word and doesn’t harm anyone, it could be a precedent for how we deal with other spirits like her in the future.”

That was somewhat reassuring. But I knew that not everyone in the Exorcist Association was as open-minded as Renji-san. Some of them were far more rigid in their beliefs, unwilling to make exceptions for anything they viewed as “monstrous.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Aya-chan and Yuki-onna,” I said, the resolve clear in my voice.

Renji-san and Shirayuki-sensei both looked at me, surprised at the firmness of my statement, but they didn’t object. They knew I meant it.

After everything we’d been through, it wasn’t just about exorcism anymore. It was about finding balance, protecting the people and beings that didn’t fit neatly into the categories of “good” or “evil.”

As we all prepared to leave the room, my thoughts drifted back to Raikoudoji’s relic, resting in my pocket. There was still so much I didn’t know, not just about the relic, but about the world of spirits and magic that I had been thrust into.

But I knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t done learning. Not by a long shot.

With the contract settled and Yuki-onna now bound to protect Aya-chan, we had won this battle. But there would be more challenges ahead—more spirits, more mysteries, and more decisions that would test everything I believed about the world.

For now, though, we could rest.

At least for a little while.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep