"Can't use magic anymore?"
I repeated Aya-chan's words, my head filled with question marks.
I mean, magic is a skill, a technique. Losing the ability to use it all of a sudden is like suddenly forgetting how to ride a bike or being unable to do a backflip anymore—things you could do before but now can't.
So, is it really possible to just suddenly lose your ability to use magic? I wondered, and asked, but Aya-chan nodded with a bitter expression.
"...Yeah. No matter what I do, I just can't use magic anymore."
"When did this start happening?"
"Maybe last month? One day, I just suddenly noticed I couldn't do it anymore."
When Aya-chan said that, I glanced at Renji-san. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"...I didn't think it was something worth mentioning, so I kept quiet, but it's true. It's not so much that Aya can't use magic anymore, but rather she can't weave threads."
"She can't use Shijutsu (Thread Magic) properly anymore?"
"Hard to say. Two months ago, Aya was able to use Shijutsu just fine. We were about to move on to practicing magic when she was using it perfectly." .net
I nodded along with Renji-san's explanation. I often forget, but most exorcists at Aya-chan's age are still practicing Shijutsu at six years old. Aya-chan is no exception.
And after turning seven, around the time of Shichi-Go-San (the traditional rite of passage), exorcists typically start serious magic training. In that sense, Aya-chan was a year ahead of her peers.
But now, she suddenly can't use magic.
Why?
"But out of nowhere, she suddenly couldn't use Doushi Shijutsu. We've had many people take a look at her, but no one seems to know why. We were hoping to have one of the resonance teachers at the training camp take a look."
"Oh, there's a teacher like that coming to the camp?"
"Yeah, yeah. Various teachers are coming. Souichirou and I are among them. The summer camp is for all sorts of exorcist apprentices, and different instructors teach various things. But I think we overlap with the other teachers for only about three days."
"Three days..."
That's shorter than I expected.
Trying to get Aya-chan's condition checked while also learning about resonance myself in that short time feels like it's going to be a challenge.
But then again, a normal summer camp probably only lasts one or two weeks, so three days seems like a realistic number. Or maybe two weeks would be too long? I wouldn't know—I've never had any experience with camps.
As I was mulling over the schedule, Renji-san shrugged.
"That said, it's customary for kids from the Ten Families not to participate."
"Huh? Why not?"
Isn't magic something that naturally seeps out of your body unless you control it?
Isn't the whole point of Kaijutsu (Circulation Art) to stop magical power from leaking out?
Instead of answering my question, I felt even more confused as Renji-san provided new information that just made things more unclear.
"She can't release her power using Shijutsu, and her magic isn't circulating internally with Kaijutsu either. It's strange. It's like her magical power has frozen."
"Can magical power freeze?"
"If you alter its properties."
"Even though it's frozen, is Aya-chan's health okay?"
"There's no issue. Magic is life energy. If anything, since her magic isn't leaking or diminishing, she's probably in better health. She's less likely to get sick."
Is it possible to interpret that positively?
But, well, Renji-san's reasoning does make sense.
Still, the fact remains that Aya-chan's magic has been mysteriously locked inside her body for some unknown reason.
...Why?
I guess if anyone knew the answer, neither Renji-san nor Aya-chan would be struggling with this.
"And you're fine to attend the camp too, Itsuki-kun. You're better at suppressing your magic inside your body than any of us, right?"
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Your control over Kaijutsu is impressive. The amount of magic leaking from your body is at a First Order or Second Order level."
Hearing that from Renji-san made me feel both proud and relieved.
The reason I've been practicing Kaijutsu so much is to avoid attracting Demons by leaking magical power.
No matter how strong I get at magic or how physically fit I become, if I were constantly attacked by Demons, I'd be dead in no time.
That's why my top priority has been preventing Demons from targeting me.
With that mindset, I've poured a lot of effort into practicing Kaijutsu.
Feeling a bit pleased by the praise, I smiled as Renji-san gave me an invitation.
"So, come along, Itsuki-kun. Join us at the summer camp."
"I'd love to!"
And just like that, for the first time in my life, my summer vacation plans were set.