Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

An unfamiliar ceiling loomed above as the sharp smell of disinfectant permeated the hospital room.

Nino, who had been planning her revenge, now found herself in a dilemma.

'If I don't get revenge, I'll look like a pushover. But if I do, how can I repay my debt to Ichika? Without her intervention, Miku would have taken this to the bitter end.'

The indecisive girl wrestled with her thoughts.

This bitter pill was impossible to swallow if she abandoned her revenge, yet pursuing it meant she couldn't repay the favor she owed.

Caught between impossible choices, Nino's head spun until, exhausted from overthinking, she drifted off to sleep.

Little did she know that Ichika had already set her own plans in motion.

While Nino grappled with her predicament, Haruno harbored her own concerns.

Chief among them was the deepening bond between the Nakano sisters and Daiki.

She acknowledged that her initial "investment" had been purely for maximum benefit to access his powers, so the lack of emotional connection was natural.

However, Daiki's treatment of the Nakano sisters was extraordinarily generous. Her Yukinoshita family hadn't even glimpsed a Jujutsu Sorcerer, yet he used his special ability to teach Nino Black Flash directly!

Through her inquiries, she'd learned of Black Flash's significance — it was the only way for Sorcerers without Innate Techniques to land critical hits.

Not a single Sorcerer in the entire Jujutsu World could deliberately use Black Flash, yet Nino was taught its constant form simply because of her sister.

Wasn't this showing too much favoritism!

Moreover, Miku and Daiki's relationship remained purely platonic. If their relationship progressed further, wouldn't his favoritism become even more apparent?

Unaware of the full situation, Haruno's heart grew heavy with worry.

But that wasn't even her biggest concern.

What troubled her most was the long-white-haired beauty who, according to Mafuyu, was a Grade 1 Sorcerer!

This woman was tall and elegant, with refined features and a perfect figure. More importantly, she chose to stay by Daiki's side, teaching basics to ordinary people like them.

Worst of all, this beauty's role directly overlapped with Haruno's position.

Was she about to be cast aside?

Perhaps time had already found her replacement, and she would slowly fade into distant memory.

Such a devastating prospect was unthinkable. The Yukinoshita family couldn't afford to lose their connection to Daiki.

'I refuse to wait passively for my downfall! I must reclaim my position!' The thought of competing with a Grade 1 Sorcerer made Haruno's stomach churn with anxiety.

In the quiet of night, she rose silently and crept across the floor.

Following her memory, she made her way to where she thought Miku would be. Haruno carefully lifted the curtain, planning to surprise Daiki.

But…

The sight before her left her frozen in shock: Ichika kneeling on the ground beside the sleeping Miku. In her mouth was a long thing that she craved right now.

What in the world is this scandalous scene?!

Understanding struck Haruno like lightning. Now she knew why Nino had received direct training in Black Flash.

'Five against one? No wonder our Yukinoshita family was thoroughly defeated!' She thought, stunned by the revelation.

Meanwhile, Ichika was mortified beyond belief at being discovered.

She curled her toes in embarrassment and turned to flee.

But Haruno, being the heir to a prestigious family who had seen her share of shocking situations, remained composed.

After recovering from her brief shock, Haruno made a beeline for Daiki, demonstrating to the stunned Ichika the art of snatching victory from a tiger's jaws.

She was determined to become a Sorcerer, holding nothing back in her pursuit.

In that moment, Ichika recognized a formidable rival before her!

Daiki found himself caught between their twin advances, enduring an overwhelming situation.

Meanwhile, Miku stirred from her sleep, her drowsy eyes scanning the ceiling above. With a deep breath, she wiped perspiration from her brow.

In her dreams, she'd been pursued by a creature called the Green Hat Devil, which had relentlessly chased her, threatening to crown her with its hat.

Relief washed over her — it had only been a nightmare.

Finding comfort, she reached out to touch Daiki's back, her fair arm settling around his waist as her fingers naturally relaxed.

If her nails grew even a millimeter more, the two kneeled girls would be unable to hide.

Haruno and Ichika shared a haunted look before Haruno made another bold move, reigniting their competition.

As the first light of dawn painted the sky, the older woman emerged victorious.

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The next morning.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by an exclamation.

Utaha and the others drew back the curtain to look toward Ginko's position.

Keika stared in disbelief at the intense shōgi match before her.

"Senior, your shōgi skills have improved remarkably. You'd have an 80% win rate if you took the women's professional player exam now." Ginko's typically expressionless face showed both satisfaction and surprise.

She was pleased that Keika could finally realize her dream, and amazed that Daiki had improved her senior's shōgi skills so quickly.

Though she had initially hesitated upon seeing her reddened hands, Ginko now recognized what a rare opportunity this had been.

When Keika moved to seek out Daiki again, Ginko pulled her back. The newly awakened woman immediately understood her mistake.

He had already granted her one unconditional teaching session — asking for more would only breed resentment.

"Sigh, Sōbu High's administration has announced a week-long holiday. When we return at the end of the month, we'll head straight to the mountain training camp." Mafuyu said, checking the notice on her phone.

Upon hearing they wouldn't have school, Fumino lazily reclined.

"How much longer do we need to stay in the hospital?" Asked Saki as she stroked her sister's head, looking confused.

Though their stay was free, they couldn't remain indefinitely.

"I just checked with Kido-sensei — we can leave today." Utaha held up her phone to show everyone.

Despite this news, everyone's eyes drifted toward Daiki. Without his magical protection, they felt vulnerable to whatever might come next.

Fumino and Rizu still needed his help with their studies. Keika had just glimpsed the possibility of becoming a professional player — how could she give that up now? And Mafuyu still owed Daiki more than seventy unreturned favors.

Although everyone had regrets in their hearts, there was nothing they could do about it.

Mei smoothed her white hair, contemplating a visit to Daiki's residence. After all, she had transferred all her assets to him.

'I must get some return on my investment!'

Meanwhile, Haruno remained focused on her goal of becoming a Sorcerer with his help.

"Daiki-kun, would you like to stay at my house as a guest?"

"Absolutely not! Daiki-kun needs to come tutor me!" Miku grabbed his arm, firmly rejecting Haruno's suggestion.

In the next room, Nino and Ichika's eyes sparkled at this exchange!

What a brilliant idea! They could use tutoring as an excuse to... cough cough cough cough...

Itsuki and Yotsuba nodded enthusiastically. With their poor grades, they desperately needed help from the Hundred Teachings ability.

Haruno started to protest but paused — Yukino's presence offered the perfect legitimate reason to stay at her apartment.

Utaha and the others could only sigh in resignation as they prepared to return to their own homes.

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T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

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