Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

"—Let's call it 'rebirth.'"

The insect in the form of a young exorcist laughed.

As he laughed, an overwhelming force blew my consciousness away.

My mind was thrust backward, the echo of the insect's laughter ringing in my ears.

And when I opened my eyes—I was back in the audiovisual room.

…Did I return?

I looked forward, and standing in front of me, looking concerned, were Aya-chan and Shirayuki-sensei. The familiar scent of air conditioning filled my nostrils as I inhaled.

Outside, the sound of cicadas echoed, and from the school grounds, I could hear the voices of my father and the apprentice exorcists participating in the summer training camp.

Nothing had changed.

It was the same scenery as always during the summer camp.

And yet, despite everything being the same… despite it all being exactly as it should be…

"…Why is he outside?"

There, standing behind Aya-chan and Shirayuki-sensei, was the young exorcist.

'Why ask why? Isn't it obvious, child?' said the man, his voice calm and composed.

Clad in his attire that resembled something from a historical drama, as though he'd stepped out from ancient times, the man smirked.

'You have seen it all, haven't you? And if you have, then you must know. To inhabit humans, to steal their power, and to be reborn in flesh—this is the eternal life I've discovered.'

"...!"

I had witnessed everything while resonating with the Yuki-onna.

This man had sought immortality but failed.

In his desperation to avoid death, he found another way.

He planted his consciousness into an insect, embedding it within the Yuki-onna. He then manipulated the Yuki-onna, hiding inside Aya-chan.

For what purpose? It was obvious.

An insect was a monster, and with sufficient magic, a body could be gained.

I was momentarily speechless, but beside me, Shirayuki-sensei took a step forward and shouted.

"Wh-who are you?!"

'Ah, I suppose I haven't introduced myself. My name is Harunaga. I am Adashino Harunaga,' the man said with a smile.

As he spoke, katashiro talismans appeared in his hands.

'Hmm… Two nuisances stand before me. I cannot allow such interference,' he said, as the katashiro flew out the window. Instantly, a translucent barrier formed around the classroom.

In that moment, the sound of cicadas, as well as the voices of the apprentice exorcists from the school grounds, vanished. All I could hear was the low hum of the air conditioner.

'Now, no sound nor spell will escape. Still, child, I have been brought back to life. Can you not see it in your heart to let me go, just this once?'

"…You really think I'll let you go?"

'Hmm, I see. Then so be it.'

More katashiro spilled from Harunaga's hands—one, two, three… growing in number.

This isn't good!

"Get back!" I shouted, as I wrapped Silveit threads around Shirayuki-sensei and Aya-chan, pulling them away from the approaching danger.

'In that case, I will take my leave for now,' Harunaga said.

"Not so fast—Kamaitachi!"

Before Harunaga could retreat, I unleashed my spell. A blade formed from attribute change: blade shot toward him, but before it could reach, a massive metallic crystal sprouted from the ground, blocking the attack.

Clang!

The sound of my spell carving into the metal reverberated through the room, but soon after, katashiro talismans soared over the top of the crystal wall, hurtling toward me.

But this was the real world.

And there were two differences between the me now and the me from earlier.

First, I didn't need to hold back the power of my magic.

And second, I now had the Thunder God's relic with me.

"Raikan!"

With the power of the relic, my Silveit crackled with lightning, forming a cage of electricity. The approaching katashiro were instantly incinerated.

I took another step forward, reciting my next spell.

"Jubaku!"

Once more, I cast the spell of binding. But I wasn't expecting this incomplete magic to fully restrain Harunaga.

This was just to drive him out of the room.

As I chanted, a mass of wooden branches grew from the ground, engulfing the metallic crystal wall, and wrapping around Harunaga, dragging him through the window and out of the classroom!

I had forced him outside.

Now that he was out of the room, there was no need to hold back.

"Itsuki-kun! Wh-what was that just now?!"

"That's the one who's been freezing Aya-chan's magic! The Yuki-onna is innocent!"

"…I-I can't see the whole picture, but I understand. That's the monster, right?"

"Yes!" I nodded and looked out the window.

Entangled in the wooden branches, Harunaga glared at us from outside.

'Fire art—"Mouka"!'

With his chant, the katashiro ignited, and the branches binding him were set aflame.

But it didn't matter.

He was already outside the room.

I leaped through the window after him, sending Silveit threads straight toward him.

Five strands, each imbued with a different attribute change.

'Our arts are evenly matched. But it seems I have the upper hand today,' Harunaga declared. Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e'm,p| y- r

"Evenly matched? No. Not at all."

I wasn't holding back now.

Unlike before, where I had to worry about not harming Aya-chan or the Yuki-onna, I was free to unleash my full power here.

Just as I was about to release my Silveit, Harunaga spoke again.

'Those of us without great talent must think carefully about how to strike. How to sink our teeth into the neck of the mighty.'

"…?"

'The moment a hunter becomes complacent is when they have their prey in their grasp, just before the kill.'

Harunaga was smiling, but his gaze wasn't on me.

It was focused behind me.

I turned quickly, and there, floating in the air, was a katashiro talisman.

But there was no Silveit thread connecting Harunaga to the katashiro.

Why was he watching it so intently?

I didn't know why, but I couldn't afford to leave it alone.

The moment I sent my Silveit toward the katashiro—

'Fire art—"Youka"!'

A voice echoed from the katashiro.

In an instant, the katashiro surged with Silveit and emitted a blinding flash of light, followed by an explosion.

But before it could go off, the katashiro froze solid.

Not just the katashiro. Even the Silveit surrounding it was frozen.

The explosion never happened.

Both I and Harunaga were left in stunned silence as a cold wind swept through the area, chilling us to the bone.

It was like the wind of winter.

I turned toward the window, and there stood Aya-chan, her Silveit gleaming blue.

But it wasn't just the color of her Silveit that had changed.

Her eyes had turned blue as well.

"…Yuki-onna."

At my words, the Yuki-onna, wearing Aya-chan's form, nodded.

"Aya lent me her body, telling me to protect you, Itsuki."

"…Yeah. Thanks, you saved me."

It had been a close call.

Without the Yuki-onna freezing the katashiro, I would've been caught in the explosion.

But before I could fully express my gratitude, a question gnawed at me, and I turned to the Yuki-onna.

"But… are you okay? You've taken over Aya-chan's body, right? Can you return?"

"Watch your words, fool! I am not 'possessing' her! I am simply borrowing her body! Of course, I can return!" she huffed, stomping her foot in indignation.

Can a body really be borrowed that easily?

Well, if she says she can return, then I'll believe her.

After all, I had resonated with the Yuki-onna just moments ago, and I could tell she wasn't lying.

Still… seeing Aya-chan's body stomp her feet in frustration didn't suit her at all.

Ignoring my thoughts, the Yuki-onna turned her sharp gaze toward Harunaga and declared:

"Face forward, Itsuki. Let's exorcise this insect."

"…Yeah. I'm ready."

Harunaga's time was running out.

With the next strike, we'd finish it.