ch41-ch60 · 060-ch52

Chapter 52 — Shadow Mystery Tale ④

Hiyori went to pick some flowers, and came back with a spirit.

"So anyway, we became friends! Her name's Set-chan!"

That was the first thing Hiyori said to the group resting in the safe area. The spirit named Set-chan greeted them with a "Pip!"

She was a spirit with an adorably small head-to-body ratio.

Sai, Mio, and Ginreibo were stunned. Hexaria, who had woken up at some point, let out a light laugh.

"Set-chan..."

"A rather adorable name, indeed."

Her body and clothes were quite damaged, but she was a charmingly cute humanoid spirit.

Mio greeted her with, "Nice to meet you. What an adorable little spirit."

Watching the two of them from a distance, Sai and Hexaria started whispering.

"…Saria… could that be…"

"…You noticed too. That's a divine spirit."

"…A divine spirit… Hey!?"

"…Don't worry. That's probably an avatar. But hmm… The connection to the main body isn't active either. She's quite weakened…"

A divine spirit. In other words, the spirit form of a god.

Normally, such beings reside in the divine world, but when their power is needed, the god itself can take spirit form or dispatch an avatar as a spirit body.

The spirit currently being called "Set-chan" seemed to be an avatar the god had created and dispatched. Of course, her power was far below the main body's level, but she still possessed strong magical power.

And now that very being was cheerfully chatting away with Hiyori and Mio.

No—it seemed Hiyori could understand Set-chan, but Mio couldn't, so Hiyori was translating with "Set-chan says~"

"I see. So Hiyori has aptitude as a shrine maiden."

The Ichijō family was originally a line of exorcists, but over their history they'd produced Shinto priests and shrine maidens. And within the Ichijō family, Hiyori possessed particularly abundant magical power. As a result, Hiyori may have become someone who could converse with beings called gods.

Ordinarily, spirits couldn't be seen so easily on Earth.

The same was true of Kakuriyo.

Yet the reason they could see this one so clearly was now apparent.

It was because Set-chan was a divine spirit.

Hexaria called out to such a Set-chan.

"You there, Set-chan. Would you have a word with me?"

"Pip!?"

When Hexaria spoke to her, Set-chan's eyes bulged in surprise.

"Don't be so startled. You should be of a higher station than someone like me. More importantly, why are you in a place like this — the demon world?"

"Ah, that is…"

"Good. I can speak with this one."

Hiyori tried to step in, but was stopped.

Hexaria could converse with Set-chan.

"Hmm… So you came from the divine world to eliminate the Shadow-Eater, but were driven back. That in itself can't be helped. That thing will drive anyone back who doesn't know how to defeat it. …Hmm. I see. So then, what form was it in?"

"Pii!"

"I see… Understood. Rest assured. I and those here will eliminate it."

With that, Set-chan bowed her head toward Hexaria.

"More importantly, you've lost a great deal of magical power… Here."

Hexaria casually opened her Item Box.

What she took out was a drink with a strange, iridescent color.

"Th-that's, could it be Soma!?"

"Is that what it's called here? Set-chan, drink it. I'm sorry it's only a little, but it should restore you somewhat."

Receiving the Soma with reverence, Set-chan began to drink it in gulps.

And then, miraculously, the wounds on her body healed, and her clothes became clean.

Her garments, which had looked like tattered rags, transformed into a majestic Japanese-style outfit.

Seeing this, Hiyori and Mio cheered.

"Wow! Set-chan's so cute now!"

"Pipipip!"

"There's no need to thank me. More importantly, it seems that amount wasn't enough to restore the connection to the divine world."

"Pipi!"

"Indeed. You may not be at full strength, but it's good that you've recovered at least some power. I'm counting on you in the battle against the Shadow-Eater."

Set-chan thanked Hexaria and continued conversing with her.

No one except Hiyori could really understand what Set-chan was saying, but the conversation seemed to be working.

Meanwhile, upon seeing this, the crow Ginreibo spread his wings wide and pleaded.

"M-me too, just one drop…! Even one drop would be enough! Please, grant me some…!"

As Ginreibo cried out his soul's desire, Mio spoke to Sai.

"Sensei, Soma is…"

"On Earth it's called 'divine liquor' or 'god's wine.' In the other world, it's called 'Elixir.'"

"Wait, that's an Elixir!?"

"Yeah. I was pretty moved the first time I saw it too."

In games, it was a legendary drink that fully restored HP and MP.

It was an incredibly difficult drink to produce, and even in the other world it had corresponding rarity.

But the number of people who could truly benefit from drinking it was limited.

Sai had also had a little in the past, but to him it was just a tasty alcoholic drink.

For beings with divinity, or those whose bodies were made of magical power — like High Elves or demons — it had the effect of healing or restoring the entire body, truly befitting the name "god's wine." But for a human body, it had no great effect. It was treated about the same as a recovery potion.

That was why Ginreibo, who wanted to regain his power, was pleading so desperately.

Perhaps moved by his pitiful state, Set-chan looked toward Hexaria.

She was checking if it was okay to share a little.

"We do need more pawns. Very well. Do your best."

"As you command!"

With the owner's permission, Ginreibo also partook of a sip — barely a few drops.

Then, the next moment.

Ginreibo, who had been a silver crow, swelled and grew, becoming a crow tengu, and finally returned to his former muscular red incarnation — the one Hiyori and Mio had fought.

What was most astonishing was that even his long red nose, which should have been cut off during the Majin Frontline battle, had been restored.

"FUOOOOOHH! My body… my nose is healed! M-my noooose!"

Ginreibo wept as he stroked his red nose.

"Thank you so much, Lady Hexaria! I shall repay this kindness through my service in battle!"

Ginreibo shouted at the top of his lungs.

He seemed genuinely overjoyed.

But the worst problem had now arisen.

The revival of a tengu fighting on their side was certainly welcome.

But this muscular giant of a man wasn't wearing a single scrap of clothing.

It was, in other words, a Full Monty.

The tengu's tengu was swaying in the breeze.

What demand was this supposed to meet?

Hiyori and Mio quickly averted their eyes, while Sai wore a disappointed expression.

Set-chan had a look that said, "Well, that was a mistake."

Hexaria was the only one absolutely furious.

"Loud and ugly. Time to shut you up."

After that, Ginreibo was naturally (?) beaten up by Hexaria and became a crow tengu the same size as Set-chan.

His charm point was the red bump on his head.

Jokes aside, having an ally who could scout and keep watch from the sky while also being able to fight was very welcome.

Right now, he was flying through the sky happily.

Watching him, Sai and the others decided to end their break.

"Alright, break's about over…"

"So we're heading north while taking out low-rank demons along the way?"

Hiyori asked for confirmation as she loosened her katana in its sheath.

"No, that should be fine. We've got Ginreibo and Set-chan with their original power back. Most likely, no half-baked demon will try anything."

"Set-chan too?"

"Pip!"

Set-chan struck a determined pose. She was motivated.

She had a cute face, but she was a divine spirit.

In her original state, she'd be strong enough to thrash someone like Ginreibo with ease.

Right now, thanks to the Soma, she'd recovered somewhat, but as a combat asset she was probably around Ginreibo's level or so.

Still, it was curious that before the break, a huge swarm of demons had attacked, yet now there was no concern about attacks.

"Yeah. Ginreibo seems to be a pretty strong tengu, and Set-chan has strong magical power too. I think ordinary demons would be intimidated just by seeing those two."

"I see."

"Pippi!"

"Ohh, as expected of Set-chan. You're amazing."

Set-chan said something spiritedly, and Hiyori replied.

As Mio and the others nodded in understanding, Sai turned his back to them and spoke.

"So that's part of it, but originally I only planned to fight once as a warm-up. Really, you know… we've also got concealment magic…"

"Ah!"

"Oh!"

Right. They had concealment magic. If they used Hexaria's concealment magic, they could reach the Shadow-Eater without anyone getting hurt.

But they hadn't done that because, as Sai said, they needed a warm-up and to check the changes in Kakuriyo's environment — what the atmospheric mana was like.

Then, before they knew it, more and more demons had appeared, and they ended up having to fight for a long time.

Even Sai hadn't quite expected that amount.

Incidentally, a fact even Sai himself hadn't noticed: the swarm of demons they'd fought was actually a group that had fled from the Shadow-Eater, desperately escaping to put as much distance as possible.

And they'd happened to be hungry at that time… That was the punchline.

"Riiight, then let's head toward Shinjuku Tower!"

Sai's voice was oddly cheerful as he addressed everyone.

At his shameless tone, Hiyori and the others stared at him with half-closed eyes.

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Thank you for reading.