Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

"Monster, this is definitely a monster! How can a human be immune to bullets?"

"No! Don't come any closer! Someone save me! Aaaaaargh—"

Piercing screams echoed under the moonlight.

Itsuki, stepping out of the abandoned building, froze in her tracks.

A thin mist of blood hung like a curtain across the mountains. The figure perched on the steep boulder was one she knew well.

It was Daiki Tsukasa, Miku's boyfriend and a second-year student at Sōbu High. Yet his actions now seemed utterly foreign to her.

With casual grace, he traced patterns in the air with his fingertips. Like a master artist lost in his craft, he used the sky as his canvas and his fingers as brushes, wielding his power with effortless precision.

Wherever his fingertips moved — past jagged boulders, towering ancient trees, or the mysterious figures desperately fleeing — his irresistible power reduced everything to dust. The wind swept away the remains, merging them with earth and forest. Only the thickening blood mist maintained its crimson curtain.

Bang!

One of the fleeing figures seized a chance to aim and fire. The bullet, swift as lightning, streaked through the air toward Daiki.

Whoosh!

The bullet stopped impossibly in mid-flight, losing all momentum three meters from its target. Daiki simply pinched it between his index and middle fingers.

In the next instant, the mysterious shooter exploded. Blood and flesh scattered across the ground like a macabre flower blooming in the night.

"How rude, disturbing my evening at this late hour."

Three minutes earlier, while enjoying a peaceful and steamed night, he had sensed a disturbance in the Cursed Energy.

Concerned that Miku and the others might find trouble while treasure hunting, he had entered the old building in the back mountains and released a portion of his Cursed Energy.

This was the overwhelming power that Mimiko and Nanako had sensed in the shrine.

The Cursed Energy provided immediate feedback whenever someone entered this area of the mountains. The moment he detected movement, he had released a focused wave of energy and discovered the threat.

He had been waiting when these intruders arrived. Blinded by greed, they opened fire the instant they spotted him.

This was the scene that greeted Itsuki and the others as they emerged from the old building.

Even Haruno, who knew part of the truth beforehand, felt her heart skip a beat — let alone the completely unprepared Itsuki. Now she truly understood the weight behind Mimiko's description of "monster".

Single-handedly and effortlessly, he had taken down a fully armed team. The firearms that humans prided themselves on were sliced apart like paper. Scattered bullet casings glinted among the jagged rocks.

"Dai... Daiki-kun..." Itsuki stared at the figure in disbelief.

Daiki waved his hand, and an invisible force swept across the area. A terrifying storm rose, carrying clouds of dust in its wake.

When the dust settled, the ground between the mountains had been completely reshaped. The curtain of blood mist dissipated with the swirling dust.

"Gulp—" Keika and the others stood speechless, frozen in shock.

Weren't they all supposed to be ordinary people? How had he become something else entirely?

"This is... Mr. Daiki is a Jujutsu Sorcerer, this is normal." Itsuki's words were cut off by Haruno. She and Yukino bowed apologetically to Daiki and the others, "I'm sorry, these people were after me and Yukino. I never expected the Matsushita Group to go to such extremes. I'm very sorry for dragging everyone into this trouble."

Her apology left the others feeling dazed. Their peaceful world had been hiding such a dark side all along.

Though it seemed unbelievable, Ichika's eyes sparkled with excitement. It was like stumbling into a hidden magical kingdom — where a mere gesture could shake the world!

To think Daiki had concealed such a mysterious identity! No wonder his grades ranked in the top ten while she lingered at the bottom!

While Ichika's imagination ran wild with visions of a magical realm, Itsuki and the others stood bewildered, their minds struggling to process it all.

"But this is too incredible. Did Nino know about Daiki-kun's identity before?"

It was the only explanation for her composed demeanor earlier.

"The disappearance two days ago happened because we encountered some monsters." Nino finally spoke up, after wiping the last drops of water from her leg.

The Nakano sisters' eyes widened in understanding, while Haruno looked surprised. She had believed no one knew Daiki's true identity.

Seeing the astonished expressions on Itsuki and the others' faces, Nino felt a flutter of satisfaction.

This was her secret with him! Even Miku didn't know!

Just as Haruno was about to continue speaking, Miku and another person emerged from the old building.

"Daiki-kun, look what I found!" Holding a tattered book, Miku eagerly showed it to him, seeking his approval.

Ginko gripped her folding fan with both hands, her eyes cold with displeasure. She and Miku had discovered the worn shōgi manual simultaneously, but Miku's quicker movements had given her the advantage.

With her naturally competitive personality, Ginko struggled to accept this defeat. Yet what could she do about it?

After all, Miku had reached the manual first.

"You really found one?" Daiki asked with surprise.

"Hehe, it's a gift for you, Daiki-kun." Miku said proudly.

As his fingers touched the shōgi manual, he recognized its true collection value.

『You have collected a Worn Shōgi Manual that carries play tactics of a Shōgi Master of the past!』

『Reward: Dragon King Level Shōgi Skills!』

A cold mechanical voice resonated as a vast amount of complex shōgi knowledge and techniques flooded into his mind.

The Dragon King, or Ryūō, is one of the most prestigious titles in the shōgi world. It stands alongside the "Meijin" title at the pinnacle of all shōgi achievements.

{T/N: Ryūō=Dragon King, Meijin=Artful Person (of any area of the japanese cultural arts)}

"Hey, Itsuki, what's wrong with you all?" Miku asked, noticing the frozen atmosphere.

Ginko, who had just walked out, also looked at Keika in bewilderment.

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