JJK: Red Priest Pathway

August 21, 2017. Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.

The morning would have been beautiful if my kettle hadn't broken. Instead, it was filled with a sense of irritation and a mind-numbing laziness. If it weren't for the upcoming Exchange with the Kyoto school, I would already be lying in bed under a warm blanket, sinking into the depths of sweet sleep…

And why the heck did I get into literary fiction? I pondered this question while reading one of the latest books by Haruki Murakami and heading towards the drink vending machine. Cigarette in my mouth, a hazy sleepy look, wrinkled pajamas, slippers, and a book in hand – I looked like a typical annoying smart character from an anime. Although, guys probably wouldn't agree and say that I looked like just an annoying character.

Approaching the vending machine, my ears twitched slightly, picking up muffled voices. Unconsciously focusing on my hearing, I easily determined, by the length, volume, and speed of footsteps, that there were three girls. Their conversation reached me as I got closer.

"If I were you, I would have responded to him the same way."

"What an idiot, you should think about who you're talking to!"

"Exactly. And what if you weren't a Sorcerer? Maybe he would have…"

"And maybe more than just that."

"Stop imagining all sorts of vulgar things. A guy just came up to me to introduce himself!"

"Don't get so worked up. Maybe you liked it when he…"

"Annoying!"

"Blushy-blushy."

"Blushy-blushy."

What the heck? I thought it would be something interesting, but it's just a regular, and quite annoying, conversation between girls.

My finger stopped in front of the button to order pomegranate tea... Maybe today I'll have something traditional... Like, for example, green tea. With a light push, the drink vending machine buzzed, and after a couple of seconds, I held a bottle with a cute anime panda eating tea leaves.

"Aren't you worried?"

Opening the bottle, I heard the same voices, but this time their owners turned around the corner and were a couple of meters away from me.

"Why should we? It's just a friendly competition."

"But we'll be up against either the Cursed or the Wild Goose!"

"My main goal is to beat my sister, and I couldn't care less about them," said the girl whose resemblance to Maki was evident at first glance — same height, same medium-length dark green hair reaching her neck. The only difference was that she was slightly more feminine, thanks to a smooth facial line.

"How can you say that? You're sisters," teased the light-haired girl, which was quite rare for a Japanese girl, with her hair tied into two bunches. Although I won't deny it, the first thing that caught the eye was her height…

"Um, girls," called out the slender, medium-height girl with charming dark blue eyes and long, almost waist-length, blue hair. "Isn't this Goose?"

Pointing at me with her finger, the blue-haired girl simultaneously tugged at Maki's sister's sleeve.

"What are you talking about?" turning towards me, the green-haired girl paused, then nodded quickly. "Indeed, it's Goose."

I sighed internally. Wild Goose, or simply Goose, is the nickname given to me by the Sorcerer Council, a kind of mark. The term "wild geese" generally refers to those who engage in numerous conflicts exclusively for payment, in other words, mercenaries. And although I became a "mercenary" relatively recently, this nickname, or rather a pseudonym, a colloquial term, had stuck with me for a long time, as thanks to my grandfather, I illegally exorcised curses for almost ten years.

"The American witch, Kasumi Miwa, and..." Looking at Mai Zenin with Spiritual Sight, I snorted disapprovingly. "Zenin."

Each of the girls had different reactions: Nishimiya Momo, aka the American witch, looked at me with interest, tilting her head up due to the height difference; blue-haired Kasumi Miva smiled apologetically, and Mai Zenin threw me a displeased look with a hint of mockery.

"Clanless orphan, should I be offended that you decided to highlight my last name?" tilting her head slightly, Mai chuckled. "Or... Oh my! Don't tell me! Did you think I resemble Maki the loser, and I'd be offended by that?"

Yes, this girl is quite a piece of work. On the one hand, I knew why she behaved that way, and I also knew her true feelings towards her sister. On the other hand, why should I tolerate such behavior? Just because I know the canon? Why should I adhere to the canon when I encounter individuals who insult people close to me?!

"Are you so insecure that the first thing you thought was that I'm trying to compare you to your sister?" I didn't even need to use my analytical abilities to know where to hit with [Provocation].

"Although let's be honest, I probably should have chosen a different word... Hm, for example, offended bitch, or maybe disappointment Zenin?"

May instantly bristled, pulling a revolver from her pocket and pointing it at my head.

"Damn dog, before opening your mouth…"

But I didn't let her finish, taking a couple of steps forward and pressing my forehead against the barrel.

"Go on," my face hardened, and my voice became unusually calm and steady.

Not expecting such a turn of events, the girl was momentarily stunned, not knowing what to do. After gathering her thoughts, she cocked the revolver and began slowly squeezing the trigger. 

Something interesting might have come out of this, but behind May's back, a stern, mature voice rang out:

"Stop! Both of you!"

It was a beautiful woman with long, dark purple hair, some strands of which were tied in a white ribbon, hanging down her back. Her slightly tousled bangs partially covered her eyebrows, and her brown eyes were filled with calm and mild irritation. A large scar ran across the right side of her face, crossing the bridge of her nose and ending around her left cheek. Oddly, it didn't make her less attractive; if anything, it added to her allure. Perhaps it was because Utahime Iori wore a traditional miko outfit, with a white top and bright red bottom, creating a contrast between the stern woman and the gentle priestess.

I really should read less fiction... Maybe I should follow Toge and Panda's example and start watching documentaries about animals.

"Sorry, I got carried away," May's temperament changed abruptly. She smiled, gracefully stepped back, and put the revolver back in her pocket.

"Wild Goose, what's your name?" Momo stepped forward.

"Yami Sukehito."

"Dark Goose suits you better," May chuckled on the side.

"We'll remember what happened today," Momo said, paying attention to May's displeasure. "And you'll pay for your words."

"When threatening someone, at least make a menacing face or," After sipping my tea, I added, "At least for the sake of decency, something serious."

"What troublesome kids," sighed Utahime, shaking her head from side to side.

"Well, that's settled then; we'll deal with everything during the Exchange," Momo decisively nodded.

Watching the girls turn away, preparing to leave, I remembered something.

"You know, I understand Maki," I turned to May. "A strange irritation awakens in me when I look at a Sorcerer like you."

"If you understand Maki, it means you're just as much of a loser inside as she is."

"Just like her, I don't like people who don't take their Sorcerer's work seriously," ignoring May's mockery towards her sister, I continued. "However, what I hate the most is those who justify their weakness and inadequacy, blaming someone else entirely."

Suddenly, I recalled telling the old man that the idea of making me a Sorcerer was his, and I had no right to refuse. I think it's because I've been in a similar situation that I perfectly understood Maki's true feelings. That's why she became even more unlikable to me.

"You know nothing about me or Maki," May threw a hateful glance over her shoulder and walked away with her friends.

Only Utahime and I remained near the vending machine.

"Don't think that just because you're of a special class, you have the right to boldly interfere in other people's lives," the stern Miko expressed her dissatisfaction, casting a gaze at her disciples.

"With such an outlook on life, one day she'll die, filled with regret and hatred for everyone who made her walk this path," I replied, sipping my tea.

"Both you and Satoru have the same problem — you feel invincible... So I can say the same to you: be careful with your impulses and desires because one day you might encounter an opponent who couldn't care less about your 'hunger,'" Utahime bowed slightly to me. "And now, I need to go."

My "hunger"…

I shook my head. Living so many years with a person who abandoned his desires and dedicated his life entirely to the Sorcerer's path, I can't imagine myself in the role of Satoru Gojo or the mages of the Heian era. I have a goal — to make this world better, and therefore, I've long pushed my "hunger" to the background.

The fear of death and the taste of Spiritual Energy are my motivators, driving me forward no matter how painful or difficult it may be.

"Maybe you'll finally come out?" I asked, glancing at the corner of the building opposite to where the Kyoto School students had exited.

"I don't like it when someone meddles in my life," Maki emerged from there, frowning and with her hands in her pockets. "Even if it's you."

In the mornings, Maki didn't wear her school uniform. Instead, she sported a regular violet high-necked sports sweatshirt and white shorts over black leggings. Quite cute, I must say.

"You're flattering yourself," I replied, shaking my head. "I did what I deemed necessary, neither more nor less."

We stared into each other's eyes and fell silent. I don't know what Maki was thinking at that moment, but I pondered on the fact that among all my acquaintances, she and I were the most alike…

"You know, Sorcerers, for the most part, are people who've decided to make a living,"

I broke the silence hanging between us.

"And I don't consider it something 'indecent.' After all, we're just humans, each with our desires and needs. However, among all of us, there are Sorcerers like you, like me, or... even like Satoru Gojo. What unites us all is that we have a goal that transcends ordinary materialism, and for which we're willing to risk everything, even our lives. And that's why I won't tolerate such an attitude towards you because if someone disregards you and your values, they devalue my aspirations as well."

For a couple of seconds, Maki observed me as if I were some rare creature. Then she chuckled playfully and, smiling, replied:

"Is this your way of hitting on me?"

"It seemed to work out pretty well," I shrugged, sipping green tea.

"It did indeed," the girl nodded, smiling cheerfully. "However, you didn't have to call my sister a bitch just for that; you knew I could hear it."

"But she is one, isn't she? Am I wrong?"

"Right or wrong, who cares? Only I can behave like that with my sister."

"So, you have no objections to the 'disappointment Zenin' comment?"

"I haven't seen such intense hatred on Mai's face in a long time," Maki pondered for a moment. "If I'm not mistaken, it was only when the old man was training us and whipping us like dogs. Every time after that, she cursed the Zenin clan up to the seventh generation."

"So, no objections."

"My sister could become much stronger, but she chose a different path," Maki shook her head. "Sometimes, I envy her simplicity in choosing her future."

"To become a housewife and raise children instead of being a Sorcerer?" I chuckled mockingly, contemplating such a fate. "Strange priorities."

"Not everyone is crazy enough to orbit around death day in and day out. Some people are content with a regular life to live the way they want."

Maybe... If you think about it, my plan is quite selfish. I want to single-handedly change the paradigm of humanity, undoubtedly disrupting many plans and erasing countless dreams in the process. Perhaps I'm a total bastard? Anyway, I feel good about it.

"In any case, I expect you to kick your sister's ass."

"Don't worry; I'll do it so quickly that you won't have time to say 'blueberry pie.'"

"Blueberry pie."

"Well, maybe not that quickly."

I smiled as we walked towards the main building of the school, casually conversing.