"Black Flash"—an attack performed by sorcerers under a special state. It is well known that a sorcerer's cursed energy flows roughly from the abdomen to the chest, arms, fists, and other parts of the body. This flow causes a slight delay in movement, known as being "a beat slow."
Normally, this delay might go unnoticed, and many people wouldn't even realize it exists. But top-tier sorcerers don't allow this; their cursed energy flows are unpredictable, and the strike of their body and cursed energy synchronize perfectly. This is an advanced use of cursed energy.
However, this "synchronization" is not absolute. Black Flash occurs when the clash between the sorcerer's cursed energy and their physical strike reaches an almost perfect synchronization, with a timing error margin of only 0.000001 seconds.
Whether through skill or luck, after executing Black Flash, the sorcerer enters a zone-like, selfless state. Normally, cursed energy requires conscious manipulation, but in this state it flows as naturally as breathing, as if everything around revolves around oneself.
In this state, sorcerers who have successfully executed Black Flash and deepened their understanding of cursed energy can more easily chain consecutive Black Flashes—though "easier" is relative.
The external manifestation of Black Flash is a spatial distortion that causes the normally shining cursed energy to turn black. Most importantly, the attack's power is amplified by 2.5 times!
In theory, no sorcerer can deliberately trigger Black Flash at will; it's a rare, elusive state. However, sorcerers who have experienced it stand far apart from those who haven't in terms of their core connection with cursed energy.
But... Kamihara Hajime is an exception. The conditions for triggering Black Flash are much easier for him. When the technique called "Wheel of Time" is applied to himself and his cursed energy, that 0.000001-second error becomes easier to reach.
All he needs to do is, at the moment just before striking the cursed spirit, observe his nearly frozen surroundings with his mind, then accelerate his cursed energy to that node using his technique, and trigger Black Flash!
It sounds simple but actually requires extremely precise control—thanks to Kamihara's unique technique and possibly his extraordinary sensitivity to time. Under his conscious control, his "sense of time" far surpasses that of ordinary people; in other words, he literally experiences "a year in a day."
Still, landing Black Flash on the very first punch made Kamihara quite happy. He had once triggered it unconsciously and then practiced deliberately after understanding it.
Achieving a 100% success rate is still impossible, but within ten punches, a Black Flash will definitely occur! And this probability continues to rise as Kamihara masters his technique.
...
After two punches destroyed the cursed spirit, Kamihara felt an odd weakness despite just starting out. He felt great but also sensed his next punch could trigger Black Flash again. Unfortunately, this cursed spirit was already finished! He regretted not holding back a bit earlier...
Maki, standing nearby and watching Kamihara seemingly unsatisfied, couldn't help but twitch her lips. So that's what they call "Black Flash," huh?
This cursed spirit was one of those highly resistant to normal attacks but fragile against powerful strikes that hit the whole body—hence it was defeated in just two punches.
Even though it was just a Grade 1 cursed spirit, those two punches must have hurt. If his third punch could have triggered Black Flash, maybe he could've exorcised another Grade 1 cursed spirit...
Maki lifted her naginata and glanced down the hallway, which seemed "wider" after the fight: "Let's clear out the remaining low-grade cursed spirits first."
The two split up to exorcise the lingering low-grade cursed spirits. These were tricky because they hid well and were too weak to sense easily, so clearing them took longer than defeating the Grade 2 cursed spirit.
Finally finished, Kamihara and Maki left the hospital, where a car was parked by the roadside. A middle-aged man in a suit stood nearby.
Getting closer, they realized he wasn't actually middle-aged—his workman's outfit, outdated middle part hairstyle, and unimaginative black-framed glasses made him look older than he was.
"Ijichi-san!"
Kamihara called out from afar. Ijichi Kiyotaka was a junior to Gojo Satoru by two years and, lacking the talent or will to be a frontline sorcerer, became the assistant supervisor at Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College. In short, he was "reliable."
Kamihara wasn't very close to him but knew him. Ijichi noticed they had finished exorcising the cursed spirits and bowed slightly: "Thank you both for your hard work!"
Kamihara scratched his head and smiled: "Ijichi-ojisan, you're too polite. So, are we heading back now? Anything else?"
Ijichi adjusted his glasses: "No, this was the only cursed spirit task this time. Gojo-san has no further plans."
Kamihara stroked his chin and grinned: "In that case, let's eat first and then go back! I want sukiyaki!"
Maki had no objections, since he was offering to treat. They put their weapons in the car and followed Ijichi to a well-reviewed nearby restaurant.
After a hearty meal, they returned to school and saw Panda and Toge Inumaki already there. Panda flexed his arm to show off his muscles: "Hajime! So slow, so slow! Panda and Toge already finished exorcising the cursed spirits!"
"Salmon."
Maki said flatly: "No, this guy killed the cursed spirit in two hits. We just went to eat sukiyaki…"
Panda's mouth dropped open: "Hajime's that strong?" Then he realized what Maki said next.
"What? You went to eat sukiyaki without inviting Panda? And Toge?" Panda practically pounced on Kamihara, who begged for mercy: "I just didn't know if you guys were done! Also, Panda, if you come out to eat with us, it'll attract a crowd!"
Despite Kamihara's protests, Panda pinned him down firmly, forcing him to agree: "Next time! Next time I'll definitely invite you!"
Maki smiled faintly at the lively scene, adjusted her glasses, and walked away.
...
The following days were very calm—training physical skills, studying cursed techniques, and occasionally taking missions.
By the way, their ranks were preliminarily confirmed: Kamihara Hajime and Toge Inumaki were Grade 2, Panda was quasi-Grade 2, and Maki was Grade 4.
Naturally, everyone was unhappy except Maki, who seemed unsurprised—though she still wasn't pleased.
Later, they learned from Gojo Satoru that the Zenin family was behind the interference, which severely worsened their impression of Maki's mysterious family.
After collectively cursing those despicable people, Maki felt a bit embarrassed and stopped the passionate Panda and the sarcastic but clean-tongued Kamihara with a calm voice: "It's fine. I'll reclaim everything I've lost in the future by my own means."
"Maki, you're the best!"
"Tuna with mayo!"
Panda, with a serious face, gave a thumbs-up alongside Kamihara, while Toge chimed in.
"These guys…"
Maki almost covered her face, then suddenly smiled kindly: "This afternoon, training will focus on cursed tools practice and physical combat."
The three froze. Since these two training areas forbid the use of cursed energy or techniques, Maki would mercilessly dominate them, especially wielding cursed tools.
"Big trouble!"
Toge patted Panda to comfort him, signaling he wasn't alone in the torment. Panda was touched and hugged him: "Toge is so nice~" Kamihara smirked and poured cold water on them: "Panda, what are you thinking? Maki always beats up Toge the least, but in the end, we all get beaten."
Toge's simple "rice ball language" phrases rarely start trouble; he mostly tags along with Kamihara and Panda. So in training, he's rarely the main target of Maki's "special treatment." In other words, Kamihara and Panda usually take the brunt.
"What're you laughing at? Hajime, aren't you the same?"
Amid laughter and playful shoves, they headed to the training ground.
"The path to strength begins now, step by step!"
Just as Panda finished his bold declaration, a wooden stick suddenly struck him in the face, knocking him down. Kamihara silently cursed Panda's slyness.
Kamihara tightened his grip on his wooden sword and stared intently at Maki. The fight was about to begin. Maki fully utilized her advantage with the long weapon, and Kamihara's attacks were easily blocked and countered. Conversely, Maki's offensive was much harder to defend against.
"Weapons are extensions of your hands and feet!"
Maki instructed as she battered Kamihara with a flurry of strikes. Despite his strong cursed energy and techniques, his combat skills were sloppy and relied heavily on brute strength. Against evenly matched opponents, this would be a disadvantage.
"Whether spear, sword, or any other weapon, their use is essentially variations of fists, palms, and footwork. Your weapon isn't just a tool; it embodies your martial will!"
Listening carefully, Kamihara was caught off guard, his wooden sword flung high, then Maki's stick jabbed into his shoulder, numbing half of it.
Maki spun her staff and planted it on the ground, smiling: "You're already dead! If I had aimed just a bit differently, it would've pierced your heart."
"Maki, can you go easy on me?" Kamihara moved his shoulder, still pondering what he'd learned from the fight.
"No way! Losing means punishment, which speeds up your progress." Maki refused mercilessly. But Kamihara was learning fast; it wouldn't be long before the basics were done, and he'd gain more from real combat.
"I have to get stronger too! I can't fall behind!"
Seeing Kamihara rally and charge again, Maki swung her staff, beginning the next round.
(End of chapter)
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