Chapter 24 – A Real Man
That kind of drop rate…
Is this a bootleg lottery from some shady site?
Tatsuro stared at the "50% chance" label with dead eyes. Based on his experience, it was more like… 10%.
He looked at the last 3 points in his account, heart trembling.
What if he got nothing again? What if it was just more fragments?
But if he didn't spin, he'd be left with nothing anyway…
With the wheel spinning at full speed, Tatsuro reluctantly clicked the first solo pull. No matter how rigged it was, he was going to use up these points today.
If I could just get a C-rank ninjutsu, that'd be great…
Cheap on cursed energy. Could be spammed. B-rank stuff drained him dry.
But alas, that was just wishful thinking. He was starting to feel like the B-rank pull he got before had used up all his lifetime luck.
The wheel stopped.
The pointer landed on a C-rank ninjutsu.
But Tatsuro didn't celebrate.
Instead, he stared at the screen and wondered how many fragments it would need.
> [Congratulations! You received a C-Rank Ninjutsu Fragment: Phoenix Fire Jutsu. Requires 5 fragments to synthesize.]
Five, huh…
He sighed. Let's keep going. Who knows when the other four will ever show up…
The wheel spun again.
But Tatsuro wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead, he scanned the slow-moving concert line around him.
Three minutes had passed, and he'd only moved… one meter.
Three minutes. One meter.
A turtle could beat this pace.
It's just a handshake and a signature! What's taking so long?!
"WOOO~!"
Suddenly, an excited cheer snapped him back to attention.
"Sign it on my shirt—no, better yet, draw a heart on my chest and sign inside it!"
"Sure thing!"
Takada-chan didn't flinch. She'd seen it all. Though this particular fan was… very tall.
No, not just tall—he was massive. Easily over 190 cm, and packed with muscle.
Damn. My charm really is that powerful, Takada-chan thought smugly.
She took the pen, drew a heart on the man's chest, and signed her name inside it.
"Stay energetic today too!"
"Absolutely, Takada-chan!"
Toudou Aoi lowered his shirt and turned to leave.
But halfway through, he paused.
He sensed cursed energy in the air.
He followed the trail—and locked eyes with a black-haired boy wearing a Tokyo Jujutsu High uniform, staring straight at him.
Tatsuro smiled calmly.
Found you… and with a bonus!
> [Congratulations! You received a C-Rank Ninjutsu: Fire Style – Great Fireball Jutsu.]
> [Fire Style – Great Fireball Jutsu: Cost – 100 Cursed Energy. More energy = more firepower.]
Another fire technique.
Damn… I must be fated for fire-style.
Great Fire Annihilation, Phoenix Fire Fragment, now Fireball.
Oh, and let's not forget the Flying Thunder God Fragment.
Three fire jutsu and a teleportation teaser.
Am I destined to be the next Uchiha?
The Fire Style That Never Kills.
Tatsuro stepped out of the line and approached Toudou.
Toudou raised an eyebrow. What's this kid want? We don't know each other.
But one glance at the Tokyo uniform and youthful face told him everything. Probably a freshman.
They'd never met. But wait…
Maybe… maybe he's a fellow Takada-chan fan.
They were both jujutsu sorcerers.
Both fans of the same idol.
This is fate!
Before Tatsuro could even introduce himself, Toudou grabbed him in a tight embrace, tears in his eyes.
"I understand, brother! We're the same!"
"...Huh?"
What do you understand?!
I haven't even said anything yet!
Tatsuro was stunned. He just wanted to say hello, maybe become acquaintances—how did it escalate this fast?!
"Even though we're not from the same school, as your senpai in second year, I can't let you leave empty-handed. Take this Takada-chan signed shirt!"
Toudou stripped off his shirt, revealing rock-hard abs, folded the garment reverently, and handed it over.
Tatsuro: ???
Why… why did you take off your shirt?!
"I—uh—you really don't need to…"
Before he could finish, Toudou leaned in again.
"I'm Toudou Aoi. I like tall Girls with Big Butts. What's your type?"
"…"
This was awkward.
Tatsuro could feel the judgmental stares from surrounding fans.
He seriously regretted showing up now.
Still, he forced himself to respond.
"I'm Tatsuro, a first-year at Tokyo Jujutsu High… Nice to meet you. I like cool, confident women."
"OHHH! Not bad, little bro! Come, let's chat more!"
"…Uh, your shirt—"
"Keep it! It's a precious gift, but Takada-chan's love is forever engraved in my heart."
He stroked the heart drawn on his chest with a blissful smile.
Tatsuro seriously considered running.
Did I accidentally walk into the wrong genre? Am I in a BL manga now?!
"…Alright then."
He accepted the shirt, still very confused.
Objectively, this was a successful encounter—but something felt very, very wrong.
They chatted for another half hour, with Tatsuro barely hanging on.
Finally, he escaped using the excuse of cooking dinner.
He didn't want to stay even one second longer. The onlookers' eyes were digging holes in his back.
This was too much.
Time to go. If he waited any longer, the vegetables wouldn't be fresh anymore.
---
Thirty minutes later, Tatsuro stepped out of the taxi and immediately spotted Principal Yaga talking with a well-dressed man.
The man wore a sharp black suit, exuding elite businessman vibes. Behind him was a black sedan and two massive bald bodyguards.
What the hell…
Some kind of corporate bigwig? Why the full entourage?
While Tatsuro was still processing, Yaga waved him over.
"Tatsuro! Come here. I've got a mission for you."
"On my way!"
Tatsuro approached and glanced at the man's face—there was something familiar about it. He couldn't quite place it, but the facial features jogged his memory.
Still, he bowed politely.
"Hello, I'm Tatsuro, student at Tokyo Jujutsu High."
"Hello. I'm Yuto Ichirou. I hope we get along well in the coming days."
Get along…?
Tatsuro gave Yaga a puzzled look.
Yaga cleared his throat and explained, "I know it's sudden, but for the next half month, your mission is to protect Mr. Yuto's daughter from any cursed spirit attacks."
"…Wait, what?! Half a month?!"
---