Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

I tried experimenting with using Nina-chan's idea of "everything is reversed inside shadows" to replicate Oborozuki until the sun went down, but in the end, I couldn't make Oborozuki work.

After all, Oborozuki is a spell that combines multiple Silveit threads.

The concept of reversing that didn't quite sit right with me.

So, that day ended with nothing but trial and error.

No real progress was made.

But honestly, that's how it usually is when I try to create a new spell.

For simpler spells like Attribute Change or Form Change, it's different, but complex spells that combine multiple elements aren't something you can come up with in just a day.

It takes many attempts before you finally succeed.

On the plus side, I did get better at catching the mannequin when it flew into the air.

If this were baseball, it might count as practice for catching fly balls, but instead of a glove, I'm using Thread Magic: Silveit.

I chuckled to myself, thinking how I got better at something so useless, before calling it a day and heading back home.

"Do you always practice magic when you're alone?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Even until this late?"

Nina-chan looked up at the sky.

The sun had already set, and the sky was pitch black.

A beautiful, clear moon hung overhead.

"Yeah, I usually practice until about this time."

"I see..."

Nina-chan responded, sounding a bit surprised.

Well, she practices magic on her own too, doesn't she?

Though, I kind of understand why she might be a bit taken aback.

I'm driven by a desperate desire not to die, while Nina-chan practices because she genuinely wants to become an exorcist.

That difference in motivation is probably significant.

My efforts are born out of a sense of urgency.

I'm being chased by the fear of death, and in a way, I'm being pushed forward by this obsessive thought of "I have to practice magic."

It's like an invisible hand is constantly shoving me forward.

But Nina-chan is only seven years old.

For a seven-year-old girl, she doesn't have to push herself so hard to practice magic... Or so I think.

Then again, it's not really my place to decide that for her.

"What about you, Nina-chan? What do you do when you're alone?"

"Well, I do practice magic... but I also watch TV, or read manga..."

"Manga?"

Come to think of it, Nina-chan did mention reading manga before, like when we first met at the entrance ceremony, she said she learned about Japan through manga.

But one thing puzzles me— I've never actually seen any manga at her house.

"Do you have manga at your house?"

"...I read them on my tablet or phone."

"Oh, really? Is that easy to do?"

"Yeah, it's really convenient. Want to try it? I can lend you one next time."

"Uh, sure... maybe next time."

It's a modern-day thing, I guess.

For me, buying manga digitally still feels a bit odd, but I guess it doesn't bother her.

Though, I'm betting she's reading shoujo manga or something.

I wonder if I'd even find it interesting...

As I was thinking about that, I heard the sound of the sliding door at the entrance opening.

Mom and Hina had returned from grocery shopping.

When my mom entered the room, she looked at me with a shopping bag in one hand and a letter in the other— a strange sight.

Why was she holding a letter, I wondered, as she handed it to me.

"Itsuki, you got a letter."

"For me?"

"Look, your name is written here, isn't it?"

Sure enough, when I looked at the addressee, it was indeed my name.

A letter for me?

Who could it be from? I wondered as I took the letter. It was from Akane-san.

Even though she owns a smartphone and tablet, she still sends letters for things like this. It felt kind of old-fashioned as I opened the envelope and began reading.

"What's it say?"

Nina-chan, clearly curious, peeked over at the letter in my hands.

I read the first part and answered her.

"It says it's the results of the investigation on 'Actor'."

"Already?"

"Looks like it."

Nina-chan's question was understandable.

I had only told Akane-san about the Actor recently.

Even if the Tsukishima family is experienced with investigations, could they really finish looking into a monster in such a short time?

As I continued reading, I quickly found the conclusion.

"In conclusion, there is no information on a monster called 'Actor.' We are currently contacting other organizations."

Well, I had a feeling that would be the case.

If the Tsukishima family knew anything, Akane-san would've reacted more when I first asked her about Actor.

But when I mentioned Actor, Akane-san's reaction was that of someone hearing about it for the first time.

So, it wouldn't be surprising if the Tsukishima family didn't have information on it either.

I am curious about what they mean by "other organizations."

"Did they find out who Actor is?"

"No, they didn't learn anything."

"I see."

When I looked up from the letter to answer her, Nina-chan nodded as if she had expected that response.

It seemed she hadn't been holding out much hope either.

But, for a letter that just said they hadn't found anything on Actor, it was unusually long.

Why? I thought, as I kept reading, and soon found the reason.

It was an invitation for the next job.

Didn't they say they wouldn't ask me to do jobs so often?

As I skimmed through the job details, there were three cases I could choose from.

I could pick one, two, all three, or none at all— it was very politely worded.

Glancing at my mom putting groceries in the fridge, I focused on the job descriptions.

The first one involved a Second-Rank monster.

There were reports of a suspicious figure swinging on a park's swings at night, and when they investigated, they found it was a monster.

But this one could only be done at night, so I passed on it.

The second case was also a Second-Rank monster.

There had been sightings of human figures on train platforms and tracks, and when station staff investigated, it turned out to be a monster.

One high school student had already been attacked while waiting for a train at night, dragged onto the tracks.

I put this one on hold.

The third and final case involved a monster at an amusement park.

Apparently, a mascot costume that none of the park staff recognized had been appearing and disappearing within the park.

Three children had already gone missing at this amusement park.

The monster was a Third-Rank.

It appeared during the day, and the location wasn't too far from home.

If I were to take on another job, I figured this would be the best choice.