89 – 89. Peace.
Metamorphosis of a Butterfly.
The bug that had crawled on the ground had now built its own home, hiding inside it, waiting for many years.
Devoting half a lifetime just for a fleeting moment, it breaks the shell called ‘pupa’ and emerges as a beautiful butterfly.
This is the transformation that nature has promised to the bug on the ground. Is the scene before me somewhat similar?
“…Aah.”
The dragon, now turned into a peak beauty, looked at its body with a blissful expression.
Was it so joyful to finally break free from being a weapon after hundreds of years?
Or perhaps it secretly admired becoming a magnificent and beautiful human like me.
‘Even so, it’s honestly surprising.’
It hadn’t specifically transformed into a polymorph, yet the dragon had turned into a human form.
Even though Gyoryong’s will had no influence, he had taken on a perfect human form.
Of course, the cause of such a change must have been absorbing the Sacred Bead, but it was definitely not a side effect.
Hmm, probably…
I didn’t waste days coming here because I was a lazy human.
There were various matters to attend to, and purifying the Sacred Bead also took up a significant amount of time.
Perhaps due to its pivotal role in the arrival of the evil spirit, the aura of magic was profound.
Even if I hadn’t given it to the weapon, it had to be sealed, destroyed, or dealt with in some way.
Among the options, I chose complete purification.
Well, it was a much more tedious process than other alternatives, but that didn’t mean I took it lightly.
If the remaining magic in the Sacred Bead had been consumed, Gyoryong could have turned into an evil dragon and reappeared.
Since I was purifying it anyway, I made sure not to leave a trace of magic behind.
It took about half a day, so it was long, but compared to the final struggle of the gods, it was relatively short.
Even though I expected this guy to evolve into a Dark Immortal due to the constant pouring of darkness from the Yeouiju even after this point…
“I can’t believe he’s becoming human.”
As I muttered in disbelief, the transcendent beauty, the transcendent girl who flickered and lightly slapped the cheek of the sparkling transcendent beauty (transcendent being), suddenly raised her head and looked at me.
Sparkle─ Sparkle─
Perhaps because she had become the girl of the promise.
Unlike the murky and hazy days of being embedded in the rock, her eyes were full of determination.
With one corner of her mouth slightly raised, the dragon stared intently at my face.
“hahahaha, you still don’t know, do you? It seems like the gods have given me another chance! To ascend, it seems I have to build virtue in the form of a human. Hmm, things worked out well. I have to repay you, so I can actually say it’s good!”
This guy, after becoming a transcendent beauty, seemed to have the same high tension as a high school girl at her prime.
I might have ignored it most of the time, but after throwing Yeouiju into my mouth, I couldn’t help but be concerned.
“Well… I see. So, suddenly becoming human now, isn’t it uncomfortable for your body?”
“Uncomfortable? Can’t you see my appearance right now?”
“No, I can see it clearly.”
“Ah, you saw it well.”
Suddenly, the dragon’s face twisted into a sinister smile, then spread its arms and exposed my chest.
“Hm-hm-hoo, did you see that? My perfect figure! Truly a heavenly body! Evolving further from an old and sickly body! Look at it! I’ll give you the chance to worship me! Praise me! Come on, quickly!”
“…Hmm.”
Watching the crazily leaping dragon (transcendent beauty), I felt like I had to acknowledge it.
It felt like becoming the position of a restaurant lady who had caused a customer to get food poisoning due to poor hygiene.
I thought I had cleaned up neatly, but it seemed that some magic had mixed into the Yeouiju.
Otherwise, that well-behaved Immortal guy wouldn’t have acted so recklessly.
“My sins are truly deep.”
By the way, even now, as the highest transcendent beauty in the city, the guy who used to be an Immortal naked was still natural in his nudity.
Nothing covering his body, truly a pinnacle pervert.
“A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
First and foremost, I thought I should dress him.
***
At the same time, in the garden of the Seihei Mansion.
In the bamboo forest area, two women were not practicing swordsmanship as usual.
They were just breathing calmly.
In the gentle breeze swaying the bamboo, while calming her body, Sawamura Sento also steadied her trembling heart.
Seihei Rin added with a compassionate smile.
“Don’t be impatient, keep your mind at ease.”
“…Hoo.”
“Relax not only your mind but also release the tension in your whole body, and breathe slowly. Meditation, the purification of the soul, starts right there.”
“…Haa.”
“Now, find peace in your mind.”
“…Peace of mind.”
Following Rin’s words, Sento mumbled and exhaled deeply from her lungs.
With the air stagnant in her lungs, there was a sense of relief in her troubled mind.
She closed her eyes, striving to empty her heart like the darkened sight before her.
Her mind was far from peaceful at the moment; it was rather cluttered.
“……Haah.”
Now, denying her feelings for Ichimaru Shiki was out of the question.
Sawamura Sento knew. He was aware of his growing affection for Ichimaru Shiki.
However, considering the possibility that he might not return after being summoned to the palace, she gained another realization.
How comforting it is to entrust one’s heart to someone.
Simultaneously, she realized how much anxiety seeped into her heart, belatedly understanding.
“Haah.”
She realized the fragility of her heart.
Since it was not something she could simply cut out due to its vulnerability, she controlled it.
She visited Master Rin to learn meditation and breathing techniques, striving to manage her emotions.
“Alright, your breathing is more stable than before. It might be challenging to maintain this calm during battles, but keep striving to maintain your composure. For a shaman, composure is a crucial weapon.”
“…I understand.”
“hahahaha, Sawamura-dono learns quickly. I had nothing more to teach in shamanism, but there is still much wisdom like this that I can impart, right?”
“…Wisdom?”
“For example… ways to enhance your appearance to impress the man you like. Stories about Shiki. Those kinds of stories?”
“…The latter doesn’t seem like wisdom.”
As Sento took a deep breath, she glanced at Rin sitting beside her with a fresh look in her eyes.
Rin, a shaman master and companion, smiled faintly and shrugged his shoulders.
“Still, it was a story that needed wisdom, wasn’t it?”
“…Hmm.”
Sento, who remained silent, absorbed the various stories that flowed from Rin’s lips.
She learned many facts about Shiki, such as how he always eats cake on his days off or how he sleeps in late. She even heard about a prank he pulled, once hanging a banner on a mansion.
While she learned many facts about Shiki, she also felt a sense of wariness.
“Well, I haven’t had many opportunities to spend time privately.”
On the other hand, the companion who doubled as her teacher seemed to have had many experiences that aligned well with Shiki.
Feeling a slight twinge in her heart, Sawamura Sento stood up from her seat.
Rin raised the corner of his mouth, tilting his head.
“Oh, leaving already?”
“…Yes, something else came to mind.”
“Heh.”
In truth, there was no other important appointment.
She didn’t know what it was, but since she had something to do, she left, and it was in the direction of Ichimaru Shiki.
From Noble mtl dot com
It was simply because it was about time for his return, and she wondered if she might run into him if she left now.
…From now on, it might be best to engage in light conversations as much as possible.
That was her only intention.
Rather than discussing that man and shamanism or the world’s crises, she wished for personal conversations.
Sawamura Sento strolled down the corridor, this time, trying to calm her restless heart.
“….Hm?”
As she made her way towards Shiki’s quarters, she noticed a room with its lights on.
It was not someone’s living quarters but rather a dressing room filled with various women’s garments.
Normally, she would have just thought someone was changing clothes. However, for some reason, a familiar presence caught her attention.
Sawamura Sento cocked her head.
Blinking a few times, she slowly walked towards the dressing room.
As she got closer, the voices of a man and a woman, not alone, could be heard bickering.
“Kei… If you dress this catastrophic body in a school uniform, the results will be catastrophic as well…!”
“No, you. It’s a perfect balance on the edge of a cliff, one wrong move and it’ll be a disaster…”
“…Hm?”
“…Eh?”
At that moment, everyone in the room froze.
Ichimaru Shiki, who was trying on a school uniform over her body, and Yoh, who had just made a sudden entrance, were taken aback, while Sento, who had pulled off a top-secret maneuver, trembled in surprise.
More precisely, Shiki’s hands that had come into contact with the mysterious smiling girl’s naked body, and the name tag that read [Sawamura Sento] stuck near the chest of the school uniform.
“Huu…”
Sawamura Sento let out a sudden breath, and as Ichimaru Shiki, scratching her head in confusion, smiled as usual, she gently tapped her on the head.
“Geehee!”
Once Sento caught her breath, that was about it.
“─You pervert!!!!”
She didn’t hold back from screaming at the scene of her human rights violation.
***
Meanwhile, at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
The Star Magician Eris Betelgeuse anxiously watched the gate while waiting for someone.
Several planes had arrived one after another, and many people were coming out pulling their luggage.
Thinking they would come out soon as well, but the arrival was delayed more than expected.
By the time Eris’s face began to show signs of worry, a middle-aged man with similar features to hers passed through the door.
“Dad!”
Eris called out to him with a bright smile.
At the sound of that familiar voice, William Betelgeuse quickly located his daughter.
Matching her bouncy steps, Eris waved her hand, and with a warm smile, he waved back with one hand while holding the phone in the other, from which the voice of his father and mentor flowed.
─William, you haven’t forgotten the task, have you?
A voice that instilled a sense of determination.
Even in the dark times of fear and uncertainty, the vision in his eyes dispelled the darkness.
William, once a Star Magician, quietly whispered, with his beloved daughter in his sights.
“Yes, I intend to reclaim it.”
…The time that everyone had lost back then.