Sitting cross-legged in his bedroom, with sunlight streaming through the blinds, Subaru was perched on his bed in just his shorts, hands pressed together and sunglasses resting on the desk, his eyes brimming with focus.
He opened his gate, allowing the innate mana to gradually fill his body, enhancing it through the flow method until it completely enveloped him.
From deep within, cursed energy began to flow, intertwining with the mana to form a unique branch of magic he had been wanting to master.
As it coursed through him, he felt lighter and stronger. A familiar dark blue aura surrounded him once more, but he paid it no mind, concentrating solely on the energy.
Subaru had exceptional control over cursed energy; in fact, he was so adept that he could maintain infinity and utilize reverse curse energy almost indefinitely.
While he still had much to learn about mana, particularly regarding his limited reserves and gate strength, his progress was impressive—an anomaly, as Puck and Beatrice had previously said.
His control of his innate mana was decent, though no were close with his cursed energy. His understanding of the flow method was still developing, as it was at this stage quite mana-intensive and demanding, but he had taken valuable notes while observing Wilhelm during his visit.
Subaru recognized the old man as a warrior, a strong one at that, as he noticed how mana flowed effortlessly through Wilhelm's body, almost instinctively, much like Subaru's own handling of cursed energy.
Now that he had a solid foundational understanding of both, he felt it was time to delve into the concept that had been lingering in his mind since he first discovered it days ago: Cursed Mana.
One of the key aspects of mastering cursed energy is control, and since Cursed Mana appeared to be fundamentally similar to cursed energy, he was determined to learn how to manage it.
However, it was incredibly difficult…
Near instantly, the aura flared around him once again, his muscles began to twitch uncontrollably, and the familiar searing pain followed immediately.
However, this time was different. Unlike before, when he had been caught off guard, he was ready for the pain. He swiftly cut off the flow of cursed mana and employed a reverse cursed technique to heal himself, causing the spasms and pain to dissipate almost instantly.
The only sign of his earlier discomfort was a sharp intake of breath.
"Nope, another dud. How difficult can it be?" he muttered, rubbing his muscles.
Controlling cursed energy or mana was easy for him, but managing both alongside a new, unfamiliar, volatile energy was proving to be incredibly challenging.
It felt like trying to wrestle a ten-meter long slippery python.
'Maybe I should try channeling cursed energy first? That might do the trick,' he thought, refocusing his efforts.
He began by channeling his cursed energy, feeling it flow through his body, then he did the same with mana. As they intertwined, the dark blue aura reappeared.
And then it happened again: muscle spasms, pain like fire coursing through his veins, a quick application of reverse cursed technique to heal, and he found himself back at the beginning.
'Well, that was a bust. Not sure what the hell I was expecting,' he sighed, resting his chin on his hand in contemplation.
The challenge lay in controlling cursed mana, which was quite volatile, while also trying to manage two types of energy simultaneously. He needed to maintain a specific amount of the flow and adjust them simultaneously for them to circulate effectively throughout his body.
'Throughout my body…' he narrowed his eyes, an idea igniting within him. 'I can control where the cursed energy and mana go! I don't have to channel them all over my body to create cursed mana! Why the hell didn't I think of that sooner?!'
He had been reinforcing his entire body with both energies, making maintaining the amount he was channeling them hard, so why not focus on just a small portion? Like a limb?
Subaru glanced at his right arm and focused on containing the cursed energy, preventing it from spreading any further. He then directed mana into it, transforming them into cursed mana.
A familiar aura enveloped his arm as he continued to infuse it with both mana and cursed energy. Unlike before, when it spiraled out of control immediately, he managed to maintain control this time.
It was still difficult, even with small amounts, as the same cycle of the intense aura, spasming muscles, pain, and healing returned. However, he felt a sense of progress.
'Fifteen seconds; that's how long I can sustain it,' he noted, having previously experienced only moments of control. Now, he was able to hold it for a bit longer.
This was a major improvement in his eyes.
'Hmm, I wonder if I can apply the limitless technique to this,' he pondered.
To start, although Cursed Energy and Mana can be combined, they remain tied to their specific magic categories.
Cursed Energy cannot serve as a power source for the Yin spells he knows, and Mana cannot be utilized for his Cursed Technique.
His reasoning is as follows: Cursed Energy is negative energy, which means it is exclusively applicable to Jujutsu magic, while Mana is positive energy, reserved for Yin magic.
However, since Cursed Mana is essentially, multiplying Negative Energy with a Positive Energy, he should theoretically be able to apply it to his Cursed Technique.
Naturally, before he can experiment with this, he must first learn to control it
'Now that I think about it, could I create… Say, Reverse Cursed Mana? I should be able to, since cursed mana is still negative energy. Hmm, eh, no point in thinking about it; once I gain control over cursed mana, I can revisit that idea later.' He thought, sitting up from his bed and putting on his clothes, opting for his Jujutsu uniform instead.
He decided to put off the magical experiments for another day since his mana reserves were almost empty. To gather more mana from the atmosphere quickly, he left the gate wide open, a trick he learned from Beatrice.
As he finished up, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, making his stomach growl. It was the handiwork of the most dedicated maid at the Roswaal manor.
'Ah, looks like Remmy has finished preparing breakfast. I should head over to eat,' he thought, stepping out of his room and making his way to the dining room.
Upon entering, he spotted his meal laid out on the table: the appa pie Rem had made yesterday, along with sausages, scrambled eggs, fresh bread, and, of course, ketchup.
'Wow, Rem really went all out this time!' he thought as he approached the table where she was arranging the plates.
When she heard him coming, she turned around, her face lighting up with a smile. "Subaru-kun, good morning!"
"Hey, Remmy! Good morning! It looks like you prepared quite the breakfast!" he replied, admiring the food.
Rem nodded enthusiastically. "Rem wanted to make sure her hero enjoyed every moment of his stay, so she prepared Subaru-kun's favorite breakfast," she said, her eyes sparkling with determination.
'Sooooo cute,' he thought, grinning.
They both sat down to enjoy the meal, Subaru relishing every bite. It was clear that Rem had a real talent for cooking.
"Ahh~ that was amazing! You're such a great cook, Remmy. I'd give my arm just to be half as good as you," he complimented her, half-jokingly.
"Rem is grateful for the kind words from her hero; it makes her really happy," she replied, blushing adorably.
"So, Remmy, now that we're in the capital for a little while, how are you doing?" he asked, taking a bite of the appa pie.
"Rem is doing well, Subaru-kun. She is very happy to be spending time with her hero," she said, sipping her oranje juice.
"I'm glad. It's a good thing now that you don't have to break your back working at the mansion."
"Rem doesn't mind at all! She's skilled at household tasks, just like Nee-sama!" she declared.
"Like Rammy?" he repeated, giving her a flat look. "She tends to slack off a lot, doesn't she?"
"Well—"
"And she leaves all the work to you."
"I mean—"
"Oh, and she often sleeps way past her shift, making me do everything." He locked eyes with her, hidden by his sunglasses
"So, can you explain how Nee-sama is as hardworking as you are?"
"Umm," she glanced away for a moment before meeting Subaru's gaze again, "…Because she inspires you?"
Subaru just gave her an even more unimpressed look.
Rem shifted awkwardly.
Subaru sighed, "Whatever, let's just hope the mansion doesn't blow up…" He then noticed something about Rem.
"Why are you dressed in a maid outfit anyway? We're not at the mansion right now, you know?" he asked, puzzled about her choice of outfit during their "break."
"These are the only clothes Rem has," she replied.
Subaru stared at her in surprise. "Oh, so you didn't bring any other clothes, I get it." He nodded, understanding her situation.
Rem shook her head. "No, Subaru-kun is misunderstanding. Rem did pack her clothes, but the maid outfit is the only thing she wears," she explained.
Subaru looked at her in disbelief.
"…Subaru-kun? Is something the matter?" she asked timidly, noticing his intense gaze.
Subaru kept staring.
"S-subaru-kun, looking at Rem like that is making her feel awkward," she said, starting to blush.
Subaru kept staring.
"S-s-s-subaru! Rem is starting to feel strange! Please stop!" she exclaimed, her face now bright red.
"…Yeah, that's not gonna fly on my watch." He said firmly, standing up and heading to his room.
"…Subaru-kun?" Rem finally asked after shaking off the arousal she was feeling. That was a close call!
Subaru emerged from his room, holding a pouch that jingled with something metal inside.
"Come on, Rem, let's head out," he said, making his way to the front door.
"W-wait! Where are you going?" Rem inquired, a hint of confusion in her voice.
He glanced back at her, "We're going outside to get you some new clothes!"
Rem was surprised, "Clothes? But Rem is perfectly happy in her maid outfit; there's no need to buy her anything!"
"Maybe so, but I can't let a cute girl like you just wear work clothes all the time! Let's go, Rem! We're getting you some new outfits," he insisted.
Rem's mind short-circuited at his words; she could hardly process what she was hearing. A whirlwind of emotions filled her chest, and she felt as if she were floating on cloud nine.
'Subaru-kun… Thinks I'm cute?' That thought consumed her, leaving no room for anything else.
After a brief pause, and realizing this wasn't just a dream, she beamed with a smile so bright that Subaru felt momentarily blinded.
"Of course! If Subaru-kun wants to buy Rem clothes, she would be more than happy to accept!" she replied eagerly.
"Really? Good! I was going to drag you outside if you said no. Let's go!"