Time passed a little, and today is December 22, 2005. Two days before the trip to Vegas, surprisingly, Naoya was receiving a serious consultation from Toji.
"Did a technique manifest? Megumi-kun. ...You look awfully grim, don't ya?"
"...Yeah, well. Even I feel it a bit, I guess. Making him hunt cursed spirits probably triggered it... that brat awakened the Inherited Technique."
"From that tone, it ain't the same as mine, huh. The Ten Shadows? That's trouble."
Naoya's face also turned suitably serious upon grasping the situation from that information.
-. That is the oldest and strongest technique in the Zen'in clan, which has absorbed multiple lineages and possesses numerous Inherited Techniques.
Currently, the strongest sorcerer in Zen'in history is Naoya, but in terms of the rank of the technique, if one were to say that Naoya's Projection Sorcery doesn't even hold a candle to the Ten Shadows Technique, perhaps the magnitude and severity of it would be understood.
"Toji-kun, you ain't a Zen'in anymore, right? This is definitely a hassle."
Specifically, it was bad enough for Naoya to mutter that with a solemn expression. If this information were to become known to the Zen'in clan now, he had plenty of ideas about who would take unnecessary action. But even thinking about it rationally, the technique was valuable enough to make Megumi suddenly leap up to be a candidate for the next head of the clan.
"Right? ...Maybe I got dull this past year, or maybe I'm going soft, but I've actually got some affection for the brat now. Enough to hesitate selling him off to that shitty family home."
What floated on Toji's face as he said this was an indescribable bitter smile, as if he were regretting it. And seeing that, a troubled, bitter smile floated on Naoya's face as well.
"Can you really say that to me? Toji-kun."
"I know you think the family home is shit too, deep down. ...So. What do we do? Should I just massacre the whole Zen'in clan?"
"Don't be stupid. Even I can't ignore that. Instead of that, shouldn't we make a 'Binding'?"
"...With who?"
"The next head is right here-me, ya know?"
"No, honestly you're the most danger... no, wait. If it's to avoid getting dragged into the next head's mess, is that an option?"
"Toji-kun, are you actually panicking? Consulting a dangerous guy? Well, fine. You noticed it quick. Just install him as the 'Next-Next Head'."
"...Is that possible?"
"He'll need a lot of prestige added to his name, but honestly, that depends on you."
"Me? I'm just a monkey who can only fight. What can I do?"
"Toji-kun, did ya forget? There's a huge Binding placed on the Ten Shadows."
Being told that, Toji recalled old memories learned at the Zen'in clan. Among them, as a famous anecdote within the family, the 'huge Binding' Naoya spoke of certainly existed.
"...Ha, I see... You're helping too, right?"
"If Megumi forms a Binding with me, I don't mind helpin' out."
"Fine. I'm doing it for him. If he complains in the future, I'll just ignore it."
"Is that so. Then I'll help too. A little early Christmas present."
"Includes his birthday present too. Heck, throw in the New Year's money."
Exchanging such conversation, Toji Fushiguro and Naoya Zen'in, the cousins who were the 'Strongest', devised a plan to 'add prestige' to Megumi Fushiguro, and worked out the strategy for its execution the following day.
-----
And then, the next day.
Using Naoya Zen'in's technique, Megumi Fushiguro, Toji Fushiguro, and Naoya Zen'in had arrived at an uninhabited island in Ogasawara Village, Tokyo, during the previous night. Inside the forest of the uninhabited island, where a barrier had been carefully erected, the three of them were about to challenge a certain ritual.
"Megumi. You remember the cursed chant I told you yesterday?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Good. Chant it when I give the signal. ...Naoya, you ready?"
"Already done. Start whenever."
"Alright, Megumi, chant it. Don't forget to put cursed energy into it."
"O-Okay-"
Feeling the atmosphere radiated by his two guardians who were unusually serious, tension naturally ran through Megumi as well. Swallowing his saliva repeatedly, he formed a unique hand sign that looked like a fighting pose and slowly directed his consciousness toward his technique.