After dinner, Itou Makoto began warming up in his room, following the routines passed down by his grandfather from memory. He waited until the other three girls in the house had finished their baths, then took the prepared mix of medicinal herbs and snake venom to the bathroom. Fortunately, most Japanese homes come equipped with a bathtub, fitting perfectly with the Japanese custom of enjoying long baths.
Standing beside the tub, he waited as the water slowly filled. During this time, he carefully poured the powdered herbs into the water, stirring them by hand until the water was thoroughly mixed and a fragrant medicinal scent began to rise. Then, without hesitation, he stripped off his clothes and poured the snake venom into the bath.
The moment the venom hit the water, the previously dark liquid changed color instantly, releasing an odd and almost intoxicating fragrance that could make someone dizzy just by smelling it.
Makoto paid it no mind and stepped into the tub, submerging his body completely except for his head. Instantly, a tingling sensation spread through him, like thousands of ants crawling and tearing across his skin—it was an almost unbearable pain.
Sensing the medicine taking effect, Makoto clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. He began practicing the breathing techniques his grandfather had taught him in the past to strengthen his body.
As his breathing stabilized, the overwhelming pain seemed to gradually fade. The tight frown on his face began to relax, replaced by a peaceful expression.
Time quietly passed in that stillness.
No one knew how long had gone by, but eventually Makoto suddenly jolted awake and stood up from the tub. As the herbal water streamed down his body, his skin showed a noticeably healthy, reddish glow.
He gently touched it—his sense of touch was far sharper than usual. A faint smile of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
"Looks like it worked pretty well."
He used the showerhead to rinse off the remaining medicine, then drained the now-useless water before leaving the bathroom. As he opened the door, the unique herbal aroma drifted out, lingering in the air.
"What's that smell?" Eriko, who had been watching TV in the living room, twitched her nose in confusion. But by then, Makoto had already slipped quickly back into his room to avoid any trouble.
"Whew… Didn't expect a surprise bonus out of this." Sitting on his bed, Makoto clenched his fists a few times, feeling pleased.
While soaking in the medicinal bath, not only did a breathing method surface from memory, but he also regained a piece of this body's past. In that memory, five-year-old him and his six-year-old second sister, Itou Reina, were in a large dōjō, learning traditional Japanese swordsmanship from their eldest sister, Itou Suzu. At night, they were taught a form of meditation by an elderly man—an apparent family tradition passed down through the generations.
This meditation wasn't the usual Western-style calm-and-sit kind, but one involving coordinated breathing and hand signs. The old man had said that this was a method of spiritual power cultivation essential for those who served as shrine priests and miko. Combined with sword practice during the day, this formed the foundational training course for ancient exorcists.
"So this family's shrine lineage might be far from ordinary," Makoto mused. "If all three of us siblings received this training, then our mother, Eriko, must have also learned it. No wonder she has such a dignified presence. It makes sense now. It's just a shame the memory ends there—clearly, 'I' didn't continue the training. I don't know how skilled Eriko and the others are now, or whether this so-called spiritual power even has usable techniques."
Still, Makoto could sense that this world might be more mysterious than it seemed. But he let that thought go. So what if it was? He had the Rubik's Cube—his life was destined to be extraordinary. Now that he had a lead, he wouldn't be stumbling around blindly anymore. What mattered most right now was improving his strength. Only with power could he face the coming challenges.
With that thought, he calmed himself, practiced a full set of martial forms in his room to digest the remaining medicinal energy, then turned off the lights. Lying in bed in the five-points-upward pose, he began cultivating the nameless wellness technique his grandfather had passed down.
As for why he wasn't practicing spiritual energy? Makoto had thought about it. He only had the training method, not the usage techniques. Cultivating energy without knowing how to use it would be pointless. Meanwhile, this nameless technique was something his grandfather, once a Taoist priest, had brought with him when he was forced to return to lay life during troubled times. Makoto had practiced it for nearly twenty years. He was familiar with both its cultivation and application. Clearly, this gave him an edge. He could always delve into spiritual power later when he had more information.
---
Thus, a night passed quickly.
The next morning, Itou Makoto woke up feeling refreshed. After running through a set of martial forms in his room, he headed downstairs to the living room. But it was still too early—only his mother, Eriko, was up, busy preparing breakfast.
"Oh? You're up early today, Makoto," Eriko said, glancing at him before going back to her cooking.
"Yeah," Makoto nodded, acknowledging her. But sitting around in the living room soon became boring, so he decided to go for a walk to familiarize himself with the neighborhood. After all, memory alone couldn't compare to firsthand experience.
Putting on his shoes, he strolled leisurely through the area. Gradually, the surroundings began to align with what he recalled, and the feeling of dissonance slowly faded. Only then did Makoto feel like he was beginning to truly blend into this world.
Just as he was about to head back, he ran into his older sister, Itou Suzu, dressed in athletic wear.
"Morning, Makoto! What brings you out so early?" Suzu jogged up to him and stopped.
"Nothing special. Just went to bed early last night," Makoto replied as the two began walking home together.
"Is that so? You've seemed… different since yesterday," Suzu said, turning to study him carefully with a curious gaze.
Makoto tensed up internally for a moment, then relaxed. After all, even if he acted according to the memories, he was a different person inside. His consciousness, temperament, and aura were different. There were bound to be subtle changes—especially when facing someone like Suzu, who, according to memory, might possess special abilities and heightened perception.
But then he reassured himself. His body was still the same, and even if his mind had changed, there was no way the Itou family would realize the truth. At most, they'd just think something had happened that made him mature.