Chapter:46 Supernatural Rundown

"About the 'other' supernatural entities you mentioned... What exactly falls into that category?"

Gojo grinned, seemingly pleased that Renko was getting curious about the broader world of curses and sorcery.

"Good question, Kono-chan. While 'curses' are the most common supernatural entities, there are various other creatures and phenomena out there. Let me break it down for you."

Gojo took the dirty plates and placed them on the sink, she began answering Renko's question as she cleaned.

'Yup, that's definitely the 'ara~ara' energy.'

"Cursed Spirits: These are the most prevalent threats. Spirits that are born from the negative emotions and energy of humans are bound to be harmful. They vary in strength, from weak to special grade. The higher the grade, the more dangerous and intelligent they become. Of course, there are cursed tools as well as curse sorcerers. I think I already explained all there's to know about them."

Renko nodded, absorbing the information. Just a week back she had encountered a Grade 4 cursed spirit and nearly died, so it was important to know how much she could chew.

"But still, just know that Special Grades are the top tier, the premium cream from the cream of the crop. They possess intelligence rivaling a human's and sometimes even more, are immensely powerful, and often have unique abilities. They are extremely rare so there isn't much to worry about them."

Gojo paused for a moment before continuing.

"Just as negative emotions and energy take form, positive energies, and emotions can also take form. Usually, these are in the form of devotion or faith or whatever you may dub as 'positive.' And who exactly uses this positive energy? Well, of course, the Gods and Goddesses do."

Renko raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the idea that 'gods,' in the plural, were real. 

"Not in the 'Almighty' sense as people often refer to them, but more like a couple of energy-based entities. People pray, they wish, they believe, and all that positivity takes the form of their imagination."

Gojo continued, emphasizing her points with animated hand gestures.

"For example, if people in a certain area have a strong belief in a river deity, their collective positive energy might create a benevolent spirit associated with that river. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Just like with curses, if there's enough negative energy directed towards a deity, it can turn malevolent."

Renko absorbed the information, realizing that the supernatural world was more nuanced than she initially thought. Curses, spirits, sorcerers, and now deities — it was a lot to take in.

"As you might've guessed, the Shinto gods all exist in real life, they usually inhabit shrines and other religious spots. As for their strengths, that's also relative."

Gojo burst into a laugh,

"People pray to gods for miracles, wishes, and requests, but rarely ever to praise their strength. So most of them are a bunch of Grade three or four sorcerers."

She finished cleaning up one of the dishes and spun it on her fingertip,

"But if Gods were a bunch of pushovers, how come the curse spirits don't destroy them? That's what you want to ask, right?"

Renko nodded.

"Because they possess the unique ability to use human souls as a medium through which they can channel their abundant positive energy."

This statement left more questions than answers, and Gojo must have noticed that too because she started to explain again,

"Yes, souls exist. Yes, heaven and hell are real. Yes, there are different types of heaven and hell for different religions. Yes, the Christian God exists. Yes, his angels are real. Yes, demons exist. And yes, the seven sins and seven virtues are real."

Renko, still trying to process the vast amount of information, managed to respond with a slightly incredulous,

"So, like... everything humans have ever believed in, is real?"

Gojo chuckled, twirling another dish on her fingertip.

"Pretty much, Kono-chan. The supernatural world and the human world are more intertwined than you might think. Religion, spirituality, and folklore are just humans' way of trying to understand and explain the supernatural. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they're way off."

Renko scratched her head, still feeling overwhelmed.

"Wait, souls? Heaven and hell? Angels and demons? That's a lot to take in. How do you even know all this?"

Gojo carefully placed the last dish in its place and sighed,

"Let's start from where you will understand more easily. Humans, as in normal humans, not you and me, are a bunch of energy clusters. Spiritually. Now as they live, they release the said energy into the air, whether it's positive or negative depending upon the said human."

"Ok."

Renko nodded, trying to jot down each point carefully. 

"If an adequate number of people believe that something is real, the positive energy they release comes together and takes the shape of said 'something.' Several million people believe the Shinto heaven is real, and then *boom* their positive energy comes together and creates a separate dimension where the Shinto heaven is located. As for hell, well, it's the creation of negative energy, just like curse spirits."

Renko nodded again, barely keeping track of Gojo's words.

"Now gods, yes humans believe in gods and all their released positive energy gathers and takes the shape of the god they believe in. Be it benevolent or malevolent. Sometimes, the gods get bored of their lives in heaven or they start losing followers, then they move into the human world or the main dimension."

Renko was as good as lost here, but she still managed to nod.

"Ok, now onto souls. Soul, as I have told you, is the cluster of energy that runs a human being. Not all humans can harness it, but those that do are called sorcerers like you and me. So when a human who believes in the Shinto religion dies, their soul merges with the Shinto heaven."

Gojo's face turned serious,

"If a person's actions are influenced by their conscious or subconscious knowledge of evil, their soul becomes tainted and merges with hell. In some cases, the soul may be torn between the two and remain in the living world. These individuals may sign a pact with a god to act as a medium for their power in exchange for taking physical form again."

Gojo sighed and flopped down on the sofa while Renko watched her from the dining table,

"Curse spirits are formed by negative energy that couldn't take on a proper shape. Sometimes it's because the emotions were not strong enough, and sometimes because they were not clear enough. So it would be appropriate to say that anything below special-grade curse spirits is a defective product of human emotions."

Renko processed the information, trying to wrap her head around the complexity of the supernatural world Gojo was unveiling.

"So, souls, gods, and curses are all manifestations of human emotions and beliefs. It's like the collective consciousness of humanity shapes the supernatural realm."

Gojo nodded in approval.

"Exactly, Kono-chan. Humans have an incredible power to shape their reality, not just in the physical world but in the spiritual one too. It's a delicate balance, and sorcerers like us try to maintain that balance by dealing with the supernatural entities that might disrupt it."

Renko leaned back in her chair, absorbing the revelations.

"I had no idea the world was this complicated, but I guess that explains the diversity of supernatural beings."

Gojo grinned.

"Well, you're a quick learner, Kono-chan. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's always more and more weird shit popping up as humanity's imagination runs wild. But hey, that's the fun part, right?"

Renko stared at her in amazement,

'This chick's got more than a few screws loose. Heck, she's got a couple of circuits missing.'

"And the dragon?"

Gojo's face suddenly went blank,

"They are from an alternate reality."

"What?"

"Learn on the fly little one, learn on the fly."

They sat in silence as Gojo muttered the words again and again, trying to assure herself rather than Renko.

"So... are Yokai's real?"

Gojo sighed even more heavily, she picked up the remote lying nearby and switched on the TV. Renko watched as she flipped through the channels, seemingly avoiding a direct answer to her question.

After a moment of contemplation, Gojo finally spoke.

"Well, it's a bit complicated. Yokai, as traditional Japanese folklore depicts them, are a mix of spirits, monsters, and supernatural creatures. Some are based on real animals, while others are entirely fantastical. In the context of the supernatural world we deal with, some of them could exist or have existed, but not exactly as portrayed in folklore."

Renko frowned, wanting a more straightforward answer. She had a growing curiosity about the various supernatural entities that might exist, especially after learning about gods, curses, and everything in between.

"Can you give me a clearer answer? Do Yokai exist or not?"

Gojo sighed, leaning back against the sofa.

"Some entities that align with the concept of Yokai might exist, influenced by human beliefs and emotions. However, many popular depictions are exaggerated or romanticized for storytelling purposes. It's a gray area, Kono-chan, and not everything in folklore translates directly into the supernatural reality we navigate."

Renko nodded, realizing that she wouldn't always get a straightforward answer on every aspect of the supernatural world. It was complex stuff and some of it was straight-up batshit crazy.

"So. Romanticized as in..."

Gojo laughed, but the laugh was hollow as if someone drained the joy out of it,

"Imagine this, you were a fearsome four-armed demon some thousand years ago and were sealed. Now you finally break free from the seal only to realize that human imagination has turned you into a woman half your previous height and with knockers the size of a melon."

Renko couldn't help but burst into laughter at the absurd image painted by Gojo. The idea of a fearsome demon being reduced to a busty, petite woman was quite funny.

"That's... ridiculous! So, you're saying some powerful supernatural entities might be running around looking nothing like their folklore depictions?"

Gojo nodded, still wearing a wry smile.

"Exactly. Some might retain aspects of their original form, while others could end up as completely different beings. It's all part of the weird and unpredictable nature of the supernatural."

Renko leaned back in her chair, feeling a mix of amusement and bewilderment. The supernatural world was turning out to be even more bizarre than she had imagined.

"Anything else I should know?"

Gojo thought about it for a moment, her finger tapping rhythmically on the table,

"Well, that's about it. I have given you a basic rundown of all there's to know about the curse spirits and such. So, about that strong curse spirit, you wanted me to exorcise..."

She leaned forward, her expression turning serious.

"It's not that I suspect you, but are you sure that the cursed spirit you encountered was 'Strong' strong? As in grade 2 or grade 1 strong and not just grade 3 or maybe grade 4."

Renko sighed, she knew Gojo wouldn't believe her. Heck, if she wouldn't easily believe the rambling of a complete beginner. But what she felt that day was indeed quite strong,

"Positive, it's definitely that strong. I have seen grade three curse spirits and they don't hold a candle to the amount of curse energy that this one was emitting."

Gojo leaned back, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at Renko.

"Hmm, if that's the case, then it's troubling. A strong curse spirit in this area means something significant might be happening. Strong curse spirits are not common, and their presence often indicates a disturbance in the supernatural balance."

Renko frowned, realizing that her encounter might have deeper implications.

"So, what should we do about it?"

Gojo smirked, her serious expression replaced by a mischievous one.

"Well, Kono-chan, we're going on a little field trip. I'll teach you how to properly handle a strong curse spirit, and maybe, just maybe, we'll uncover the reason behind its appearance."

Renko nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. For one, the cursed spirit was on her property... technically it was hers anyway, and secondly, she wasn't sure if she could take out the cursed spirit even if she spent a whole month grinding away at the nest in the cemetery. 

Since Gojo just happened to need a favor from her, she might as well take the opportunity to observe a first-class fight.

"Might as well get some exercise, Kono-chan, we're leaving, now."

With that, Gojo stood up and headed towards the door. Renko quickly grabbed her wallet and followed after her.

As they reached the bus stop, Gojo turned to look at Renko and smiled sheepishly,

"Which direction was it again?"