58 Chapter 33. Ritual (Part 2)

Heading to the hospital, I reached for my phone and dialed the number of the most insufferable person I knew.

"You've finally learned how to make phone calls?" Satoru's voice came through from the other end.

"If I wanted to annoy you, I would've sent a text," I shot back, matching his tone. "Head to the hospital where Megumi's sister is."

"Are you bringing Megumi himself along?" Satoru quipped.

"What do you think?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his antics.

"Maybe you want to show off in front of him?" Satoru seemed to relish in provoking reactions.

"If I wanted to show off, I'd have shown him a photo from our trip to Holland."

"But you said if you wanted to annoy me, you'd have sent a message?" Satoru's voice betrayed a hint of amusement.

"Then... I'd have sent him the photo as a message."

Deciding to end the banter, I simply hung up the phone.

***

Before me lay Tsumiki Fushiguro, Megumi's sister, on the hospital bed, enveloped in a mysterious aura of mysticism and unexplored truths. According to the official version, she had inexplicably fallen into a coma, leaving many questions unanswered. However, from my perspective as a reincarnator, her fate seemed even more tangled and tragic – just another victim of curse, one of many across Japan.

As I met her "inscrutable gaze", I felt neither the weight of responsibility for her fate nor sympathy for her condition. Instead, she presented a puzzle, stimulating my mind: how to bring her back to life? The question seemed to hang in the air, urging me to search for an answer.

During my visits over the past six months, starting from the day when Megumi first brought me to her, I noticed something unusual about her condition. Typically, a coma leaves the human "Ether Body" exhausted and pale, reflecting the severity of the illness. But Tsumiki was an exception. Her energy was powerful and pure, evoking envy in anyone who considered themselves healthy. This discovery only fueled my curiosity and desire to understand how to help her awaken from this mysterious state.

Where could the cause of her condition lie? Initially, I assumed her situation was identical to Yuji's, but in that case, Satoru would have noticed, and I would have been able to discern the cursed object inside. However, there was nothing visible, only a thin spiritual thread extending far into the spiritual realm. Yuji's words hinted at something. At the moment when he swallowed another finger, there was almost a switch between him and Sukuna. Of course, this could be a mere discharge of Sukuna's projected energy, but then how to explain that Sukuna could use his techniques even in the body of a Sorcerer whose brain is not adapted to them? The answer was...

"When did you manage to become a hero on halftime?" a voice behind me interrupted, Satoru's voice.

"At the moment when I realized that working as a full-time Sorcerer wasn't as profitable," I replied, turning my head to the man who had caught up with me and was now also looking at the sick girl.

"Yuji told me you dropped him off at 'Ichibane'," Satoru said after a short pause. "What happened?"

Silence filled the air, laden with anticipation and hesitation. I needed to say something, but every thought that crossed my mind hit an insurmountable barrier: admitting that I possessed spiritual energy. This revelation had always seemed to me like something that should remain in the shadows, evoking fear or distrust. However, today, in this moment, facing a common threat and an unprecedented challenge, it suddenly became apparent that this fact had lost its previous significance. It ceased to be taboo.

"Can I consider myself a Sorcerer?" I disregarded Satoru's sarcasm.

"Clearly, I'm here to listen to you pour your heart out?" Satoru took a few long seconds to digest what I had said, or perhaps he just decided to irritate me further. Personally, I leaned towards the latter. "If you're asking such a question, it means you don't believe it yourself."

"My cursed energy is increasing dramatically. I can use Domain Amplification along with my techniques, for which I don't need seals, and talking about my Domain Expansion is downright embarrassing," I turned to Satoru, glancing at the bandaged man. "So tell me, do I look like a Sorcerer?"

"What does that matter?" Satoru stared at me. "Sukehiro Yami, a Sorcerer of special rank, 'King of Destruction of Asakusa,' all these labels. While you dont cutting people like the plague, I don't care who you really are."

"I don't have a cursed technique," I simply replied.

"What do you mean?" his brow raised in a questioning gesture.

"In a direct sense," I sighed.

"And is that all your explanation?" Satoru shook his head slightly, staring at me as if I were an idiot. "Or am I missing something?"

"Cursed energy in its normal state is energy with a 'negative charge.' For reverse techniques, we use cursed energy with a 'positive charge.' In my case, I use cursed energy with a 'neutral charge,' and to avoid confusion, I use the term 'Spiritual Energy.' All my tricks are possible thanks to it. That's it, magic is over, I'm just a regular con artist. Anything else interesting?"

"So, that explains a lot, but there's still one misunderstanding. Why are you acting like an idiot?" Satoru asked bluntly.

"Probably, it's the will of fate," I replied with a shrug.

"Fate is a bitch," Satoru philosophically remarked.

"And you understood that because I'm an idiot, not because there's a poor girl lying in front of us who fell victim to a maniac?" My skeptical gaze tried to pierce through the man's skull.

"You couldn't care less about my or anyone else's opinion. You do what you want and how you want. And that's precisely why, among all the people close to me, you're the only one I respect. So why are you seeking my approval?" Satoru's tone became serious.

"I don't need your approval or respect," I shook my head negatively, looking at Satoru, then shifting my gaze to Tsumiki. "Until today, I thought that admitting I'm not a Sorcerer and that I've been deceiving you all this time would affect our friendship. However, now I see it's the opposite... You're still as insufferable as ever."

"Stop flattering me," Satoru grinned. "So what are we doing here?"

"What do you know about the soul?" I began with a question.

Satoru, with his inherent nonchalance and confidence, replied, "Clearly less than you, since you're asking such a question."

Taking a deep breath, I began to unfold the picture of my knowledge before him:

"The soul consists of four levels. At the very base lies the Soul Body, the foundation of everything. Then comes the Astral Projection, the connecting link between the soul and the Spirit World. The next layer is the Body of Heart and Mind, which involves the brain, heart, and ego, touching upon the deepest corners of human essence. And finally, the Ether Body, which is a reflection of life energy and physical form," I paused, scrutinizing Satoru, trying to gauge his reaction to my words, then continued. "In Tsumiki Fushiguro's case, her coma seems mysterious. After all, her Ether Body is in excellent, even ideal condition. This indicates that the cause of her condition is not an illness or a traditional medical explanation. More likely, we're dealing with an artificially induced state, with manipulation at the soul level, which requires a completely different approach to treatment."

"So, her condition is related to a problem in her soul," Satoru pondered, propping his chin with his hand, ignoring my question.

"If in Mahito's case, his cursed technique allows him to control souls like clay in his hands, in my case, it's more like injecting a special drug into a muscle that will either contract or relax it," I explained.

"So, even your spiritual energy doesn't allow you to help Tsumiki because of a lack of control," Satoru summed up. "Then what am I doing here?"

"Tsumiki is a vessel. Just like Yuji," I dropped this bombshell and carefully watched Satoru's reaction.

"I don't see anyone inside her," Satoru shook his head.

"You see Sukuna because he's awake. In this girl's case... There's only one soul in her body, Tsumiki's own, but I see a thin spiritual thread connecting her to something, or rather someone," I explained.

"She's in a coma because the body can't handle the burden of two souls simultaneously," Satoru guessed.

"Yes and no," approaching the backpack that lay on the armchair by the wall, I began to pull out various items. "Her body really wouldn't cope with the burden of two souls, but she's in a coma not because it couldn't handle it, but to prevent such a detrimental influence."

"How prudent," Satoru chuckled.

I approached Tsumiki's bed and pulled her towards me to place her in the center of the room. Then I placed a candle, a brass knife, and sprinkled lavender and mint extracts in the form of powder and salt on the tray attached to the bed.

"Spiritual energy reveals to me an incredible world," I began to explain to Satoru, who clearly didn't understand what was happening.

"And here I thought you decided to play a Sorcerer," he sarcastically interrupted me.

"Ritualistic Magic, that's what it's called," I ignored him and continued. "It's a kind of set of cursed techniques available to anyone who possesses spiritual energy. The main thing that Ritualistic Magic can help with is connecting with the Spirit World, which is necessary in our case."

"And what's the plan?" surprisingly complied Satoru.

"What I'm going to do is called the 'Soulfall Ritual'. I'll summon the soul of the person Tsumiki is connected to, and you'll be able to see this problem with your 'Six Eyes'," I explained.

"And then we politely ask not to ruin the poor girl's life?" Satoru fervently stared at me.

"No. After that, I'll start exorcising the invading soul with spiritual energy, and you'll cover me," I corrected him.

"In that case, we should have called Seko," the man remarked.

"It won't affect her body, but it may affect her soul. And that's precisely why, if you notice that the situation is getting out of control, then you use Domain Expansion," I refuted the "teacher's" assumption.

"Why didn't I just use expansion right away then?" Satoru asked, shifting his gaze to Tsumiki.

"Because who knows if you can direct the influence of Domain Expansion specifically on the intruder and not on Tsumiki," I replied calmly.

"And by observing her soul longer, you hope that I'll be able to?" Satoru pursed his lips.

"Yes, otherwise, she'll die," I replied just as calmly. "Initially, I wasn't sure if Tsumiki had ingested a cursed object. However, thanks to Yuji's example, I realized that no matter what she 'ate,' it's hidden in her Body of Heart and Mind, where I can't look with my 'Spiritual Sight.' However, it doesn't matter because as long as it's there, it will respond to the ritual."

"So, how do we explain the fact that Sukuna can use his techniques even in the body of a Sorcerer whose brain isn't adapted to them? The answer lies in the 'Body of Heart and Mind,' the level of the soul responsible for the presence of a cursed technique in a Sorcerer. And it's also from here that ego originates, and it's precisely here that the 'spiritual space' should be located, where Sukuna communicates with the defeated opponent."

"Spiritual Sight?"

"And that's all that interests you?" I stared blankly at Satoru.

"It's just curiosity. What's so bad about that?" the man shrugged.

"It would take too long to explain," instead of continuing this dialogue, I began to draw a perfect circle around Tsumiki's bed using spiritual energy. "This is called the wall of spirituality; it will limit the influence of the outside world, which will help the ritual."

Then, I dipped my finger into the lavender and mint extract, ignited the powder, and then the candle, creating an aroma that filled the space with calmness and focus. Continuing the ritual, I evenly scattered salt along the magical circle, marking the boundaries and protecting the space from unwanted energies. After these preparatory actions, I circled around, taking my place behind Tsumiki's head. Holding the brass knife in both hands, palms facing up, I prepared for the real start of the ritual.

"I'm not sure what will happen to me during the ritual, but don't try to interrupt me," I warned the white-haired Sorcerer, who was sitting by the table.

"Have you done this before?" Satoru asked me.

"Does increasing luck and creating talismans count?" I grinned childishly.

"If you fail and something goes wrong, Megumi's sister will die," Satoru reminded me.

"Then you should stop me. Isn't that right?" I glanced at the man. "But you won't because you're terribly curious about what all this is about..." A silence fell between us, interrupted by my loud sigh. "If I don't do this, she'll die."

"Let's hope you're right," Satoru summed up.

"Hope is for cowards."