Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest

Souichirou pondered, wondering just what kind of person Itsuki truly was.

If he had to put it into words, he'd undoubtedly call him a genius. A true genius born once every few hundred years.

In the world of exorcists, such geniuses occasionally appear. He had heard those stories many times before. So, when he realized Itsuki was one of those rare beings, he felt an overwhelming joy.

After all, exorcists have a high mortality rate. Souichirou had seen countless comrades, no matter how strong, fall before the might of demons.

Being able to spend time with his family without perishing was a stroke of luck, and he didn't want Itsuki to die. This was simply the natural sentiment of a parent.

That's why he felt relieved. He believed that, at the very least, Itsuki wouldn't die facing ordinary demons.

But this was only if Itsuki was properly trained.

The world of exorcists is not a kind one. It demands relentless training and the effort to push oneself to the brink of death. Even though these efforts might not always be rewarded, training is necessary to exorcise demons.

Souichirou thought it would be enough for Itsuki to learn this by the time he turned seven. Despite the shortage of exorcists, he believed that a child who had just turned five didn't need to fight demons.

That was until they encountered a demon on the highway.

A demon that could speak and destroy soundproof walls was a 'Third Rank' demon. For an ordinary exorcist, it wasn't just troublesome; it was nearly insurmountable.

If Souichirou hadn't been there, another exorcist might have called for reinforcements. No one would blame them if they had fled the scene, considering they couldn't defeat a demon ranked higher than themselves.

But Itsuki exorcised that demon using only imitation magic. He defeated a demon that other exorcists couldn't hope to defeat.

Souichirou was struck with awe, forgetting to breathe for a moment.

At just five years old, Itsuki had the magical power to dismember a demon as large as a 5-ton truck. Yet, despite this achievement, Itsuki seemed dissatisfied, as if he hadn't yet revealed his full potential.

This was the power of the 'Seventh Rank.' A genuine prodigy born once every few hundred years.

Souichirou couldn't help but wonder just how far Itsuki would go.

With such thoughts in mind, he glanced at Itsuki, who appeared a bit intimidated by the grand staircase of the Kamiarizuki household.

Still, Souichirou thought, isn't my son just too adorable?

The staircase of the Kamiarizuki household, seen for the first time in two years, was extraordinarily long. I couldn't help but marvel at how I managed to climb it alone when I was three.

Reaching the top of the long staircase, a massive mansion stood before me. Unlike last time, when I only saw the building, today I would enter it.

The upcoming meeting was to be held inside the mansion.

Moreover, it was my debut as the next head of the Kisaragi family. I was nervous, despite having an adult's mind inside a child's body. I had never been comfortable with public appearances, preferring behind-the-scenes roles in my previous life.

As I mulled over my nervousness, I entered the Kamiarizuki mansion. I tried to arrange my shoes neatly, but a man in a black suit stopped me.

"It's okay. That's our job," he said, and I withdrew my hand.

How many servants does this house have? I wondered. I couldn't help but voice my amazement at the number of staff in the Kamiarizuki household.

After all, the driver who brought us here was also a Kamiarizuki employee. It's clear they are extraordinarily wealthy. Could exorcists make this much money?

Even at five years old, thinking about future earnings felt inappropriate, but money is important.

Although, in my previous life, my lack of hobbies meant I rarely found myself short of money.

"The head of the family and the heir, please follow me. Madam, this way," a different man in a suit instructed us, leading my mother to a separate room. Ah, the casual sexism of the exorcist world.

I sighed inwardly at the division and received a final word of encouragement from my mother before we headed to a different room.

Honestly, I preferred staying with my mother, but that wasn't an option.

"The head of the Kisaragi family, Souichirou-sama, and his son, Itsuki-sama, have arrived."

"Welcome. Come in," a familiar female voice called from inside.

Following the man in the suit, I stepped into the room, where several men's gazes immediately fixed on me.

"They're expecting you, Itsuki," my father said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Of course. Everyone here has come to see you."

At my father's words, I looked back at the men staring at me.

Each one of them had a face that could easily make a normal child cry. Couldn't there be at least one gentle-looking person?

But it was unlikely for exorcists to have soft features. Imagining my own future appearance, I couldn't help but feel a bit bleak.

As I mused over this, one of the men approached us.

"How have you been, Itsuki-kun?"

"Renji-san!"

It was Renji, the head of the Shimotsuki family. If he was here, then Ayachan must be around too, I thought, scanning the room until I spotted her.

Meeting Renji and Ayachan again after a year, I recalled our training sessions from ages three to four, where Renji had taken over my father's role when he was unavailable. Our sessions had gradually ceased due to conflicting schedules, much like losing touch with college friends.

"Aya, it's Itsuki-kun, the one you've wanted to see," Renji said.

Did she really want to see me? I thought, feeling a surge of joy.

Although I'd never had children, I didn't dislike them. Honestly, who doesn't like being liked by kids? Even if I looked like a child myself.

I waved at Ayachan.

"Hi, Ayachan! Long time no see!"

She turned away without a word. Did I do something wrong?

"Sorry, Itsuki-kun. Aya always says she wants to play with you at home, but… Aya? Don't you want to say hello?"

Renji extended a hand to Ayachan, but she swatted it away.

"I hate you, Dad!"

"Well, that's troublesome," Renji said, scratching his head.

Seeing Ayachan's reaction left me puzzled, making me cross my arms in thought.

Girls are really hard to understand.

"Please take your seats. We'll begin the meeting shortly."

At that moment, the golden-haired woman of the Kamiarizuki family spoke up, her timing perfect.

Following her cue, the ten men sat on the prepared cushions. I took a seat next to my father.

"Discussing boring topics first would just make the children restless. Let's start with introducing our hopefuls before moving on to the adult matters... Is that alright?"

The adults silently nodded in agreement.

She must be someone important, I thought.

"Good, since everyone agrees, let's have our promising talent introduce themselves first. The hero who exorcised a 'Third Rank' demon at the age of five."

Who could that be? I thought.

There were only two other children my age: Ayachan and Rin-chan from the Satsuki family. Ayachan wasn't yet capable of exorcising demons, so it must be Rin-chan, I thought.

As I pondered, the golden-haired priestess's eyes locked onto me.

Wait, me?

Caught off guard, I widened my eyes in surprise.

"You all know well. The genius born once every few hundred years. The one who possesses 'Seventh Rank' and mastered 'Kaijutsu' and 'Shijutsu' at three years old," she announced in one breath, then smiled.

"This is Itsuki Kisaragi."