"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Eichi. I am Isayama Yomi, daughter of the Head of the Isayama Family. Please guide me."
After confirming the newcomer's identity, Yomi immediately stepped forward with Kagura and bowed.
The sharpness Yomi had shown in the earlier battle was completely reined in, replaced by a dignified and elegant bearing, like that of a noble young lady.
Seeing Yomi suddenly become so solemn, Kagura, standing behind her, quickly straightened her posture as well.
"Just call me Eichi. I heard about you when I was in Tokyo, a genius from the Tohoku region, the future pillar of the Isayama Family."
Eichi carefully observed the young lady before him.
It was not that Eichi was captivated by Yomi, but rather that he intended to obtain what he wanted from Isayama Naraku through her.
From the intelligence provided by Zen'in Shuji, Eichi had discovered a point that could be used. Isayama Naraku intended to let his daughter, a woman without the Isayama Family bloodline, inherit the position of Head of the Isayama Family.
From this, it was clear that Naraku deeply loved his daughter. If Eichi promised to support and protect Yomi in becoming the next Head, he believed Naraku would be willing to pay a certain price.
"You flatter me. How could someone like me dare to call herself a genius in front of you?"
In the past, Yomi truly believed she was a genius, but after meeting Kagura and Eichi, much of her pride had faded.
"Have there been many Cursed Spirits like this recently?"
Eichi asked with a concerned tone.
"Please rest assured. Although the number of Cursed Spirits has increased recently, the Isayama Family will exorcise them promptly."
The three continued chatting as they walked toward the cordon.
"Is that Shishiou in your hand, Yomi? I wonder if I could borrow it for a look."
Although this was his true objective, Eichi's tone sounded casual, as if he did not care much at all.
"I apologize, but this requires the permission of the Head of the Family."
Yomi refused directly.
"Is that so? Then forget it. Also, we are all the same age, so there is no need for honorifics."
Japanese is sometimes referred to as a language of polite formalities, where conversations often include a great deal of honorifics and indirect phrasing.
"Alright."
Yomi nodded. Few young people truly liked those long and troublesome formalities.
"Speaking of which, what a coincidence. We were just on our way to the Isayama Family. Since we have met, I will trouble you to lead the way."
"Of course."
Yomi replied with a smile.
The group quickly returned to the car. At Yomi's signal, Izuna Noriyuki guided the vehicle behind them toward the Isayama Family estate.
"Did you notice anything?"
Eichi asked the empty air beside him.
In the next moment, Medea appeared at his side.
"I noticed a few things. That sword is more like a controller. The summoning of Shikigami is done through the cursed tool within the sword. The sword itself functions to transmit Cursed Energy and restrain the Shikigami."
Medea gave her assessment.
Earlier, Yomi had repeatedly injected Cursed Energy into the sword and even attempted to summon Ranguren.
However, Ranguren's destructive power was too great. Summoning it to fight on the street would cause severe damage.
After all, not everyone is Satoru.
He could cause chaos during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, and no one would dare hold him accountable.
"It's a pity the young lady did not manage to fully summon the Shikigami from the sword. Otherwise, I might have seen more."
Medea spoke with some regret.
"Can it be made?"
Medea possessed the skill of Item Construction.
In the Nasuverse, the charms she made for warding off evil and bringing good fortune caused Kuzuki Souichirou to win so many prizes that he could barely straighten his back.
There were simply too many prizes, and they were too heavy.
"I could make something similar, but not something that powerful. It would require suitable Materials."
"Moreover, that method is better suited for professional cursed tool craftsmen to learn. Eichi, you want something that can be mass-produced like a weapon, right?"
Medea poured cold water on his idea.
Unlike cursed tools, which are inanimate objects that anyone can use, Shikigami possess life and a certain degree of intelligence.
Even if an ordinary person forms a contract with a Shikigami, controlling it is extremely difficult.
"It seems I still need to learn from the Isayama Family."
The Isayama Family's cursed tool, Shishiou, could even be used by a Grade 4 Jujutsu Sorcerer.
The only limitation was their lack of Cursed Energy, which meant it could only be used for a short time.
Under normal circumstances, however, even if a Grade 4 sorcerer commanded a Grade 1 Shikigami, there was a high chance of backlash.
If he could understand the principle and then have Medea modify it, mass-producing a method for ordinary people to control Shikigami might truly be possible.
Whether it could actually be achieved was still unknown. For now, it was simply a matter of believing it possible rather than impossible.
The two cars soon arrived at the Isayama Family residence.
After receiving the news, Isayama Naraku had already come outside to welcome them.
"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Isayama Naraku, Head of the Isayama Family."
"You are too modest. The Isayama Family's legacy spans a thousand years, and I have long admired it. I am already very pleased that you are willing to let me visit."
To be honest, if possible, Eichi truly wished Naraku would have refused his visit.
That way, he could have found an excuse to stir up trouble at the Isayama Family and take what he wanted directly.
If the Isayama Family was this cooperative, it would be inconvenient for him to act openly.
It was like a renowned master visiting a promising newcomer, intending to fight to the death.
If the newcomer accepted, it would be fine, and at most people would say the newcomer overestimated himself.
But if the newcomer welcomed him warmly and treated him with courtesy, and he still attacked, then he would clearly be in the wrong.
Eichi, after all, was not a Curse User. This was not a lawless world, and it was better to avoid murder and robbery.
That said, he was confident he would still get what he wanted.
The two soon entered the main residence of the Isayama Family.
Eichi carefully observed Naraku.
At the moment, Naraku was not wearing the stiff, traditional kimono or haori favored by the Big Three Families.
Instead, he wore a brown suit.
His aged face bore scars similar to those of Utahime.
He leaned on a cane with his left hand, and his gait was slightly awkward when he walked.
It was likely a disability left behind by an injury from his younger days.
Naraku was very talkative, and some interesting stories from his youth also caught Eichi's interest.
Before long, the two were addressing each other by name.
Naraku also began subtly probing Eichi's intentions.
"To be honest, Uncle Naraku, after my cursed tool was destroyed in a battle last year, I have been searching for a suitable replacement. I happened to hear about the cursed tool Shishiou forged by the Isayama Family, so I wanted to see whether the Isayama Family could help me craft a similar cursed tool."
Naraku let out a sigh of relief.
When he first heard that Eichi wanted a cursed tool and mentioned Shishiou, his heart nearly leapt into his throat.
Fortunately, Eichi was not trying to directly seize the family's Shishiou.
After all, Shishiou was like a safeguard. Its existence represented the Isayama Family's bottom line, so its importance was self-evident.
"I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. After the first Head of the Family passed away a thousand years ago, no one has been able to craft a cursed tool like Shishiou again."
Naraku sighed helplessly.
"Is that so? Then I wonder if the first Head of the Family left behind any records. If possible…"
After some discussion, the two established a binding vow.
First, the Isayama Family would dispatch the clan's cursed tool craftsmen to assist Eichi in forging the desired cursed tool.
Second, when necessary, the Isayama Family could jointly research Shishiou with Eichi. However, Eichi was not permitted to take Shishiou away, and all research results would be shared by both parties.
Third, Eichi would provide the corresponding resources and Materials to the Isayama Family.
Fourth, Eichi would protect the next Head of the Isayama Family, Yomi, for ten years.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)