88 – Transformation.
Within the Divine Palace (神宮), facilities exist for servants and soldiers who live inside, aside from the nobles.
There are cells for interrogating criminals, but wouldn’t there also be places for the leaders of the troops?
While the Emperor was distant from official duties due to illness, they gathered to discuss state affairs.
However, today, the atmosphere was slightly hostile.
The Divine Martial Commander responsible for the palace’s security and the protection of the nobles furrowed his brow, seemingly unable to comprehend.
“So you just let him go like that?”
Already tired, when pressured by the generals, Divine Punisher Mato Makira pressed his wrinkled forehead firmly.
“…What else could be done? The gods have repeatedly declared him innocent.”
“Huh, innocent? He spread his powers in front of the palace where the gods reside. How could he be declared innocent after such arrogant behavior?!”
“It’s truly regrettable, but since the gods have repeatedly spoken, there must be no sin involved.”
“…Mato Makira, you. Are you really losing your mind?”
When Gehan rose from his seat, the elderly man who was sitting weakly glared at him with bloodshot, nervous eyes.
“Listen, Divine Commander. No matter how responsible you are for the palace, you cannot pressure me, who is in charge of judging sinners and conducting palace rituals. What the judgment god has decreed is irreversible, of course!”
“…You.”
“Ah, why are there so many arrogant people before the gods? Instead of reprimanding the innocent, how about hearing a detailed story from the Field Commander who observed the lad up close?”
“…Yes?”
Field Commander Tokito Minami, who was listening leisurely like someone else’s story, blinked in surprise at the sudden mention of her title.
Sighing, the Divine Punisher Mato Makira referred to her.
“Didn’t the heavens command? Before having a true connection with the sky, eliminate all beings that pose a threat to the palace. So, as a surveillance officer, do you see him as a threat?”
“…Uh.”
“Is Byakuyasha, Ichimaru Shiki, truly a harmless being?”
“…Uh-uh.”
Instantly, all the attention in the room focused on Tokito Minami.
She was the most skilled and astute in human observation within the palace.
If she asserted something, it was trustworthy.
Raising her head as if recalling someone, Tokito Minami, who seemed to ponder the answer for a moment with a smile reminiscent of someone else, confidently declared, “Yes, a very peaceful individual!”
***
“Ha ha, I’m back!”
Immediately upon release, she returned to the Sehei Mansion.
As it was the end of a particularly diligent day, she energetically greeted everyone.
It was just a short while, but being confined in a humble cell made even tofu seem appetizing…
“…Huh?”
“Shiki?”
What’s with these gazes that seem to be looking at a ghost?
Starting from the blond little Eris she met as soon as she opened the door, to the stern-faced Kenichi and the hunched Hotaru in one corner of the room, all of them stared at me with eyes and mouths wide open, as if from the jaws of evil.
The foolish Kenichi muttered quietly, “See, I told you I didn’t need help.”
Unfortunately, everyone in the room was so highly intelligent that no one responded to the fool’s words.
An overall chaotic atmosphere.
What, was I supposed to come back dead instead of alive?
Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I glanced around the room and saw Sawamura Sento, with redness around her eyes and a face tinged with bewilderment, looking at me blankly.
Not only surprise but also relief was evident on her face.
It seemed like she unintentionally caused worry.
As moisture gathered in her eyes and she started sniffling, I smiled again and said, “I’m back.”
It was summer.
“hahahaha, I just finished the witness interrogation!”
Well, actually, it wasn’t quite like being a witness.
It felt almost like facing immediate execution, like a criminal about to be sentenced.
After roughly explaining the situation, I sent them back to their lodgings to rest.
“It seems like everyone is exhausted.”
“Hmm, well, we all fought fiercely against a huge giant.”
“…Everyone was really worried. I was too, especially Sawamura, who seemed to have exhausted himself as soon as he lay down.”
“Hmm, it seems quite unlikely to receive an acquittal at this point.”
Sento, despite his usual demeanor, was in tears unlike his usual self. And Tokomo, who had toured the exorcism families in Tokyo with Lin, burst into tears upon seeing me.
“hahahaha, guilty as charged.”
How could tears and snot stain one’s clothes in such a way? It was a truly awkward situation, but perhaps there was some mischief in me.
Seeing such a childlike appearance, I felt sorry but also warmed inside.
It seemed I hadn’t made the wrong choice.
Indeed, returning alive is better than returning as a corpse.
Yes, living is truly the right path.
That side is happy.
While gazing at the moon in the night sky with a solemn heart, Lin, with a worried expression, glanced at me.
“So, are you really okay?”
“Hmm? I’m always fine.”
“…Putting aside the tough act you always put on, how was it being dragged into the palace? …You really didn’t experience anything, did you?”
“Hmm, you may have played your part, but would I fall for such a thing? Now, if someone wanted to torment me, they would need the gods themselves to come down, right?”
“…Always putting on a strong front.”
Similarly gazing at the moon in the sky, Lin whispered quietly.
“When will the day come when we can lie in the inner room like rascals, laughing and making noise together.”
“Probably not any time soon!”
“Sigh, you’re truly an unnecessarily busy person.”
“If only you knew earlier.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
A moment of silence lingered under the blue moonlight.
As I gazed at her, now silent, a lonely look appeared on the lady’s face.
Lin, who had been looking at the moon, suddenly turned her head, chin resting in her hand, and smiled.
“Why did I fall for someone like you?”
I knew I was a sinner, but I also knew I shouldn’t confess my sins lightly.
I shrugged my shoulders, smiling back at her beautiful face.
“hahahaha, I must be quite charming.”
“…Unlucky.”
“So, do you dislike it?”
“Not really.”
“hahahaha, then it’s settled.”
“He’s a really bad guy.”
As the night deepened.
***
Saving the world from an unknown crisis is truly a daunting task.
Even though I wanted to lie down in a corner for a while, the villains kept coming, and I couldn’t even take a break from school.
I had to calm down Tokomona Sento, who seemed more concerned about me not dying last night.
I also had to take care of Kenichi and Hotaru, who had recently discovered each other’s secrets.
Thanks to all the chaos, I was finally able to handle the pending tasks after a few days.
“Well, well. Are you this late because you were fooling around with girls?”
“hahahaha, Kenichi is a man.”
“I already knew that you were thick-skinned.”
“hehehe, such hurtful words.”
With a painful heart that felt like it was being torn apart, Koryu narrowed his eyes as if trying to hold back tears.
“I’m not here to scold you, so let’s leave it at that.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“I thought you would come the same day since you caused such a commotion.”
With a momentary pause, Imugi added with a tense expression.
“…So, did you really bring it?”
“What do you mean?”
“…What! I mean, did you really bring the jewel… no, did you bring it for me…!”
Lowering himself, Koryu urgently asked me with a touch of deference.
I knew it all along.
I was trembling all over as if I had ants in my pants when I entered the room.
“Uhuhuhuh, are you saying this?”
As I took out a piece of pure black jade from my sleeve, the cave of veins was engulfed in darkness in an instant.
“…aaah!”
It might have been a strange phenomenon that even transcended half a living being, but he seemed to only have eyes for the jewel in my hand.
“…Really, you brought… no, you brought it for me…!”
It hadn’t been just a few dozen years.
The sense of defeat and loneliness that had consumed Imugi’s body for hundreds of years.
He humbly lowered himself as if it was okay to use honorifics for a mere human.
I contemplated enjoying this superiority a bit more, but seeing Imugi trembling and only looking at the bead, I felt a sense of pity.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Hey, you!”
So, I simply threw the jewel into the air, and Imugi, widening his eyes, swiftly flew to catch the bead.
How dare you throw such a precious item like that.
There was no time for him to control his startled heart and complain.
As Koryu held the jewel, a tremendous radiance that dispelled the darkness of the veins burst forth.
“…aaah!”
It was the evolution of Koryu, who had long been a dragon crawling on the ground, into a true dragon.
This great transformation was accompanied by an explosion.
Quickly raising my mana to prepare for the impact, the cave was engulfed in a monochrome light that flickered for a while.
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“…Cough, cough! I thought if the smoke turned into pollution, I wouldn’t give it to you.”
As I lingered in the cave, thinking it was sturdy, everything shattered and turned into dust, flying away.
Well, it had been a long time since I passed the level where just a bit of dirt and sand made my eyes itchy or left me breathless, but if I didn’t react at all, even this weapon would be confused, so I gave an appropriate reaction.
Ah, is it not a weapon now?
“So, do you like your new body?”
I smiled and asked the figure that appeared through the hazy smoke.
Perhaps due to just evolving, it had a human form rather than a dragon-like monster, but it had clearly become a transcendent being.
Gyoryong, who had silently gazed at my skin, was so cute that it could rival the top beauty in the realm, murmuring absentmindedly.
“Eh, is this me?”
The dragon had become a transcendent being (a beauty).
the imoogi is a girl… sigh ofc its a heroine