Masato and his colleagues arrive at the Jisheng University Hospital where Akiko Hogetsu is hospitalized. The university hospital is located in the heart of the city, and is known for its advanced medical care, and is home to a large number of opinion leader doctors by specialty.
　The entire ten-story white behemoth housed the hospital and medical research facility.
　When Mizuho entered the main entrance on the first floor, the institution's black-clad male staff was waiting for her, and when he saw Mizuho holding flowers for her visit, he quietly said, "This way......." and led her through the hospital.
　Yuto follows behind Mizuho as she walks to follow the institution's staff. From what he heard, he heard that not only Houzuki Akiko, but also her father, Houzuki Teiji, and other businessmen and their families who had fallen ill from an unknown illness this time, were all hospitalized here.
　The agency also has a certain amount of personnel assigned to this hospital and has a 24-hour escort. Presumably, the people of the Snake Eaters' family would also be there for those guards, but they did not show up.
　Continuing down the corridor where other nurses and hospital staff were busy coming and going, Yuto and the others, along with the agency staff, come to the elevator.

'They are each admitted to private rooms on the top floor of the tenth floor.

　An agency official explained. Mizuho nodded and thanked the staff.

''Thank you, all the people who fell this time, are they on the tenth floor?''

''Yes, we have done so from the point of view of the guards. Houzuki Akiko-san is in the back left corner of the corridor on the right side of the elevator.

Yeah, I get it.

　Yuto and the others were led by a staff member to a room with a plaque that read Houzuki Akiko on it. A staff member knocked on the door, and although there was no answer from inside, he opened the door as it was and urged Yuto and the others into the room.
　The room is a large private room, dimly lit, with a bed by the window closed by a thick curtain in front of you. It appeared that Akiko was asleep there.
　Mizuho approached the bed without making a sound of footsteps and peered at her classmate Akiko with a cautious look on her face.

''

　Mizuho was crestfallen when she saw Akiko sleeping quietly.
　Akiko had a cheerful demeanor in the Seicho Academy, she had many friends and often exchanged words with Mizuho, who wasn't that good at socializing.
　That Akiko now looked emaciated, her cheeks were smoldering and her darkened eyes were sunken in around them. The beautiful hair that would have been well-kept was now reduced to less than half its original size, and in some places on her head, the crust was visible.
　At the sight of this changed Akiko, Mizuho's right hand carrying the flowers was trembling.
　From behind Mizuho, Marion, Masato, and Karen stopped moving their bodies when they saw the girl of the same age. Marion and the others are so surprised that they hold their mouths and have thin tears in their eyes.

''The blessing I put on you is already gone...''

'Since last week, this unexplained condition has progressed so suddenly that she is now unable to eat on her own. Of all the victims of this current apparent curse, he is in the worst condition...

　From behind Yuto and the others, an agency employee quietly explained Akiko's current condition.
　Mizuho silently placed the flowers on the shelf next to Akiko's bed while shaking her hands.

''Yuto you can't kill people with just a curse, right?

'Yeah ... from the curses I've experienced and the stories I've heard. But this.....

Show me.

　Saying that, Karen approaches Akiko's side where she sleeps.

''........Nolokichi.

　A white snake quickly emerged from Hualien's back and moved around Akiko's body as if to examine Akiko on her bed. As Mizuho and the others watched the white snake, the white snake returned to Hanaren and clung to her body.
　Hualien meditated as if she was receiving something from the white snake and raised her hands to her waist.

''How do you feel, Hualien-san?　What did you find out?

　As if Marion can't stand something, she asks Karen.

''Well this is no ordinary curse. I've never seen anything like this before.''

'Hey!　What do you mean by that, Hualen!

　Mizuho is surprised by the words of Karen, who is probably the most knowledgeable about curses in this place.

''This........a tremendous number of people's malice and hatred are gathered in this child. Negative emotions that people have like malice, hatred, jealousy, envy and resentment from all directions........to this child. This kind of thing can't happen even to a celebrity. That would erase the blessings this child has from the ancestors and divine spirits that he has no, those blessings are not............ So, this child has zero luck right now.

　Yuto and the others were puzzled as they couldn't keep up with what Hualen was saying, and their faces were strained.
　Hualen opened her eyes and looked over at Yuto and the others.

''Each person has their own kind of luck. In addition to that, there are numerous invisible blessings. These are combined to create the strength of what is generally referred to as a person's 'luck', we learn in the snake eater family. This is different for each person. There are people whose luck is unusually strong and their blessings are weak, and vice versa.

Mr. Snake Eater it's

　Still, Yuto didn't understand what Hualen was saying.

''Malice from people can weaken the luck a person has. However, unless it's too much, it is protected by the blessings of the ancestors and the higher beings associated with that person. So it's usually not a problem.

Is that like a guardian spirit?

That's the way I see it.

So, what's the state of Akiko-san?

A curse is a curse that uses various rituals and ritual objects, or magical or psychic powers, to break through this blessing and send negative thoughts to the target in an attempt to directly erase or weaken his or her inherent luck. A person's inherent luck is related to his or her life force or ability to live in this world. If it is extinguished, the first symptom will be ill health, illness, and accidents, etc.

Then, Akiko-san....

'His ability to live ... especially his vitality is severely diminished. It could be argued that the child's condition was worse than that of the other victims because of the relatively weak vitality he possessed.

'Oh no...can't you do something about it!　Hualien.

　Mizuho couldn't help but shout out.

''Once the blessing is broken through, it's tricky....... Spells are easier to send in than to protect. My Nyorokichi was one of my best abilities at strengthening that blessing.......

　Heartlessly, Hualen also looked down as if she was regretting her words.

''But, Hualen-san. A curse that is not normal is...?

　Marion shifts her gaze from staring at Akiko to Karen.

'Normally, the vector of the curse ... there is one source of the curse. And yet she is receiving quite a large number of malicious thoughts all at once. Each one is a not so strong thought. But I should say that it's in a state where it's coming at her in a bundle. It appears to be a great.......cursed force.

'It's not possible!　Akiko-san is not the kind of girl that people hate. Rather, it's the opposite...

　Mizuho looked at Akiko, whose cheekbones were deflected, revealing her scaly skin, and then, as Mizuho trembled helplessly, Yuto placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her body towards Karen.

''Yuto!''

'So you're suggesting that that unusual curse is being performed by some sorcerer?　The Snake Eater.

Perhaps...

Okay.

'Hey, Eugene!　How can you divide it so easily....

　Mizuho looked at Yuto's face and her eyes widened.
　There was Masato, exuding an unconcealable spirit and sacredness.

''Mizuho-san, let's still go on as before.

Yuto.....

''I'll find out the enemy's true identity and get rid of this joke of a curse as soon as possible. Mizuho-san, please go to the agency tomorrow and gather information. Also, if the people who attacked us directly at noon were the same organization that released the curse...

Yuto-san.....

　Marion looked at Yuto with a mixture of reliance and apprehension.

''The agency will not be able to remain silent. No, if Mizuho-san and Marion-san, who are rank A's and the mainstay of the Japanese Branch, are not comfortable moving them out of the blue, then please tell them to submit the request to me, a rank D, first. That should be a good rank for a first move.

!

....

　Mizuho and Marion could feel Yuto's anger in the air.

''Yuto I'll do it too. This is a request I originally made. I didn't leave that up to you either, but in the form of assisting me and Marion.

Eugene!　I'm going with you. I can't go alone.

　Yuuto was inwardly troubled. This is because, in terms of covert action, he is the most outstanding among them. Mizuho is a spirit user with high attack power at medium to long range. And Marion is an exorcist. They are not suited to act covertly.
　Yuto looks at Mizuho and Marion's willful eyes.

(Ah, this kind of thing has happened before........in the demon world too.)

"Yuto tries to do everything on his own!　Bad habit!　I'll be there!　If I leave you behind, I won't be able to cast auxiliary magic on you for the rest of your life."

I'm not geeky enough to leave everything to you."

"Well, well, Yuto-kun. We're friends, okay?　I want you to be able to rely on us and at least worry about your friends. As if you're willing to do it alone so that you won't put us in danger."

　Yuto smiled to himself as the exchange between the indigo-haired Lieselotte and her warrior friend in the demon world overlapped the situation in front of him in his mind.

''........I understand. For now, I think it will be after tomorrow, but let's decide on each other's roles.''

Of course, Yuto.

　Mizuho says as she presses forward.

''Yes!''

　Marion nods as if relieved by Yuto's response.
　The two of them reacted in a way that made Yuto feel a strange strength boiling up in his heart, and he felt his spirits rise.
　Yuto responded with a big nod and shifted his gaze to Akiko.

''Before that, let's just do what we can now. Marion-san, can you give Hougetsu-san your blessing?'

Oh, yes!

　Marion focused her spiritual power and applied the strongest exorcist blessing she could to the debilitated Akiko. Then Yuto sat down on the chair next to Akiko's bed and put his hand on Akiko's forehead and around her lower belly from under the covers.

'What are you doing?　Yuto.

I'll give her some life force.

　As he says this, dense sacred ki overflows from Masato, and that sacred ki flows out through Masato's hands and into Akiko's body. Masato circulates the sacred ki between himself and Akiko many times, exchanging Akiko's ki with his own ki for his own, and so on.
　In the meantime, Yuto also kneads his sacred ki, creating a full range of sacred ki.
　Hualen looked at Masato curiously.

''You, what are you doing? Mysterious abilities......''

　For a while, Yuto was letting his ki circulate.......and Akiko's eyebrows moved slightly.
　Mizuho and Marion were startled and huddled up on the bed to look into Akiko's face.

''Akiko-san!''

...uhh... uhh... uhh..., I'm doing...

　Akiko is unreliable, but she regains consciousness and opens her eyes.

'Yes, it's Shitenji. Get a grip!

　Akiko's strength returned slightly to her eyes, and she turned her skeletal, dimpled eyes to Mizuho.

''Ah, thank you for coming to visit me......... Shurian-san too........

'Yes, Akiko-san!　I even brought you some flowers?

　Akiko moves her eyes to the flowers next to the bed.

'Oh, they're beautiful ... thank you.'

　Akiko thanked him, though her voice was faint and small.
　Then Akiko had tears in her eyes.

''Before ... my cousin came and gave me a pretty ribbon, but I didn't have enough hair to decorate it...''

　Akiko weakly tried to force a smile and tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.
　Mizuho quickly grabbed Akiko's hand as soon as she could.

''What are you talking about?　It'll be back in your hair soon enough!　If you look at Akiko-san's proud hair, all the boys in the examinations that are here now are dead on arrival.

　Akiko smiled a little.......and again, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
　Mizuho held Akiko's hand as she gently placed her scrawny hand back under the covers.
　Marion carefully wiped Akiko's tears away with her handkerchief.
　Yuto still sent Senki in... and then stood up in silence.
　Yuto watched the situation with Mizuho and Marion.

''I've changed my mind. You guys set it up first. Moreover.........you did all this to this innocent child. I'll make sure you pay the price for messing with Mizuho-san and Marion-san's classmates,

　Hualen, who happened to be looking at that strong gleam in Yuto's eyes beside him, felt strange emotions and unfathomable fear from this boy.

(Why can I be so angry about someone I've never met before today...)