CH 72

My heart, is beating violently.

It accelerates my blood flow, perhaps this is the most ferocious beating I’ve ever experienced in my life, and then as if probing my body, the blood flows with each beat.

I do think it’s painful. The pain is as if my heart is about to explode. However, more than that, there’s a certain sensation enveloping my whole body.

That’s, the sensation of growth.

“Status.”

After defeating the monkey, my staggering body falls to the ground, while lying down, I look at my own status.

◇Status◇

Name                        : Naginata Kitsune

Gender                     : Male Lv. 20 (↑ UP19)

Strength                   : 400:STOP!

Stamina                    : 2500

Resistance               : 3450

Agility                       : 2620

Magic Power          : 1220

Title                           : 『Other worlder』『One who’s loved by demon』

『Demon eye holder』

Skill                            : 『Pain Nullification Lv.5 』『Intuition Lv.5 (↑ UP 1) 』『Eerie Constitution』 『Other World Language』 『Status Appraisal』 『Persistence』 『Overpower』 『Near-Death Experience』『Demon eye of foresight Lv.6』『Miasma Reistance Lv.5』『Miasma Aptitute Lv.6』『Miasma Manipulation Lv.4 (↑ UP 1)』 『Evation Art Lv.1(NEW)』『Mikiri Lv.1(NEW)』

Innate skill              : 『Demon eye of foresight』『Miasma Manipulation』『Re: Origin』

PT Member             : Trisha (Human), Leila (Demon)

◇

I’ve become, stronger. That’s how I feel. My strength rose. It has ‘STOP!’ attached already, but it rose nonetheless.

I was level 1, whereas the monkey was level 54, so I think the experience points I acquired was quite plenty. After leaping directly to level 20, my status is already beyond normal human realm.

My resistance has finally surpassed 3000. With this at the very least I’m sure I won’t die from E rank demonic beasts’ attack. You can say that’s just how though I’ve become. Actually, my status has already shown its effects.

My shaken mind; from getting blown away by the monkey; is already recovered. And how my self-healing ability greatly increased is also one of the proof.

“Ompf… hmm… okay, I think I’m fine already. As for my demon eye….”

Standing up, I stretch my body and find that it’s already fine, then I decide to try activating my demon eye again.

“…not yet, huh. That means its recovery is on different domain than my self-recovery from resistance stat, huh.”

My demon eye doesn’t activate.

Perhaps, because this is a powerful ability and is classified as innate ability, it isn’t necessarily possible to be activated just because my body has already recovered from the fatigue. Should I use it to its very limit, I think I need a certain interval before I can use it again. That means, I won’t be able to use it again for the time being.

However, a new way to use the miasma— or rather, a way to increase my miasma, knowing it is already a big discovery in itself. As far as I’m concerned, this discovery is as important as my leveling up. After all, with this my means of attacking increased by one. And since my strength rose, I think I now should be able to wield larger weapons.

“Well then, let’s go home… I’ve defeated one monkey after all, and I also don’t want to move my body again for the time being.”

If Finia-chan were here, I’m sure she’d innocently shower me with maliceless insults, but now that I’m monologuing by myself like this, I’m kind of lonely.

Seems like I’m slightly too immersed with my sentiment.

“Let’s take them back, that ball of insult solely dedicated for me, that sunflower-like smile, also… my family.”

I stretch my hand to the sky, and clench it tight. I’m not sad, because all of my precious things are on my hand. I’ve lost nothing.

Saying so to myself, I move my legs and head to the town.

◇　◇　◇

Around the same time, at another location, the hero party had arrived at a certain town different from where Kitsune and the other were. After entrusting the carriage to the stable and reserving lodgings, it was around the time they took rest.

For the room assignment, Nagi, Cecil, and Jik were together in one room, where Finia, Lulu, and Silphy were in another one. For Nagi, he preferred for males and females to have separate rooms and proposed that Cecil, Finia, and the others to be together, however Cecil said that being together with the hero was her duty, so he compromised.

By the way, seeing that, Jik thought her as a very obstinate woman.

Currently, Finia, Lulu, and Silphy were in their room and were resting on the bed. They weren’t sleeping, they were only lying down. Inside the carriage, their minds were pretty strained, that was why mental-wise they were pretty worn out.

“Are you okay, Lulu-chan?”

“I’m fine… I’m just slightly tired.”

“…I see, you mustn’t force yourself, okay? Want to relax a bit?”

“…yes, thank you very much.”

Mental-wise, she was still a twelve-year old child, even if she had determination to get stronger, her body and mind wouldn’t necessarily follow suit that easily. Human wouldn’t change so abruptly.

However, even if that was indeed the case, as far as Finia was concerned, Lulu was slightly forcing herself.

Finia felt as though Lulu was hurrying to get stronger as fast as possible.

However, toward such Lulu, Finia could only tell her such. Relax a bit, advance slightly more slowly. Because advancing recklessly never led to something good, after all.

“By the way, what are you guys going to do from now on?”

“…w, we are hero party that was formed to subjugate the demon lord. That’s why, before subjugating the demon lord, we’re going to accumulate experience and building up strength to the limit so that we can subjugate the demon lord….”

To Finia’s inquiry, Silphy the magician answered as such. To subjugate the demon lord they had to fight the demonic beasts and demons along the way as well. That means, at their current ability were around that of A ranks, they held no chance at all.

First thing first, they had to build up suitable power. For that sake, the fastest and easiest way was to have powerful weapons and armors.

Hence, the current destination of the hero party was “Industrial country Jigveria” which was on the opposite side of Rookshide kingdom. By the way, Cecil was the one who called it as such.

Its official name was “Repulic Jigveria”, different from Grandile kingdom and Rookshide kingdom, it was a democratic kingdom with no king, and the whole citizens were the state.

However, the territory was quite small, with its size, rather than a country it was more close to a town. Thus, this country was also called industrial town, numerous human and dwarves with magic tool craftsman and weapon craftsman as profession resided there.

Also, their abilities were second to none in the world, weapons and magic tools produced there were all certificated. Their fame resounded around the world, each nation recognized that “Jigveria’s manufacture art was world best”. Thus, weapons produced there were favorite for numerous adventurers as well as knights.

In this country’s past history, there once existed a legendary weapon craftsman who created a holy sword, even now there were “Brave series”, “Phantom series”, and many other weapon series created by famous weapon craftsman.

To prepare for Hero’s equipment, this was surely the best location.

“Hmm… I see, got it.”

Finia only nodded and responded so. Seeing Finia’s response, Silphy slightly dropped her shoulders. Even if she no longer completely rejected them as she did at first, seems like there was still a huge gap between Finia and co. and Hero and co.

◇

—what a blunder.

I was a miko that was born at Grandile Kingdom, working for the hero was my duty, and offering him my body and soul was also part of it. However, this time was different, I was following Nagi on my own volition, and I was also determined to devote my all to him.

Ever since the moment he was summoned here, he already showed signs befitting those of heroes. Even though he was abruptly summoned here, he was capable of calmly assessing the circumstance. Moreover, even after we explained to him how dangerous his duty to subjugate the demon lord was, he still accepted it with eyes full of confiction, even now I still remembered those eyes. At that moment, Nagi-sama’s appearance was brimming with the dignity befitting those of heroes.

And then, a week after the summoning ritual, he already acquired prowess befitting of a hero, and even now it was still rapidly rising. I couldn’t see the limit of his growth, and that fact gave me conviction that he was indeed someone who was blessed with natural gift.

Thus, I secretly came to liking Nagi-sama. I have no prior such experience, so I was slightly bewildered, but right now we were in the middle of demon lord subjugation journey, such relation between hero and miko, namely love, we couldn’t afford to waste time with such matter. However, after we subjugated the demon lord….

However, we were currently in the middle of journey to subjugate the demon lord. Thus, I did think it was a blunder to turn that eerie youth into our enemy.

Demon lord was the symbol of overwhelming destruction, it was an absolute ruler who possessed overwheling power as well as charm (charisma) that made those prideful demons to prostate themselves before it.

However, tha youth was the exact opposite of the demon lord, he was a Shinigami who despite he himself was weak, he possessed dread (charisma) that could make even those who were overwhelmingly more powerful than him to fear him. That definitely wasn’t something I want to confront… it wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, fighting against him in itself was, dreadful.

Without knowing that, I snatched that idea-type fairy (Finia) away, and ultimately warranted that shinigami’s wrath. At that time, I couldn’t avert my eyes when he was saying talking to me.

Hay-colored right eye, and dark red hollow left eye, even though he only had one eye left, at that time I felt as thought I was being stared from every direction.

‘Just do your best to run away, since I’ll keep on chase, chase, and chase after you, and finally, I’ll beat you enough to make you regret what you’ve done. I’ll definitely give you enough fear that will make that pretty face of yours covered by tears and snots, that will make your legs limp and unable to stand up, and finally, it will force you to rub that head of yours on the ground in desperate of asking for my forgiveness.’

Those words pierced deep in my heart. Unbearable, the dread at that moment, I even could still vividly remember it.

That was why, it was a blunder. I shouldn’t have laid a hand on that youth. When Nagi-sama attacked him, I should’ve stopped him. If we were unlucky, at that day, at that moment, there was a possibility that Nagi-sama’s mind might break, after all.

“Kitsune… if my memory serves right, he was an H rank adventurer, wasn’t he? … How come someone turns into like that, I wonder….”

Murmuring so, I took out the snatched mask (Finia’s life) from my pocket. I’d put barriers that absorbed chock and damage on it, so as long as we weren’t up against demon lord or demons, there should be no chance of it breaking.

For that fairy, and also for that youth, it was something that was very important… however, as far as I was concerned, this mask was a chain that tied me to that youth. I honestly wanted to break it as soon as possible.

However, I couldn’t do that. Absolutely, that was something I absolutely mustn’t ever do.

Should this mask were to break while it was on me, I was sure the moment we meet that Shinigami again, not just Nagi-sama’s, I was sure it’d break my mind as well. Even if Nagi-sama was a hero, it’d disregard such a thing and break the ‘human’ Nagi-sama.

That was why I couldn’t afford to break this mask. I absolutely mustn’t break this chain.

“It’s scary… but, as his miko, I still have to follow him to the very end.”

I couldn’t afford to lose. For the first step, I believed I should obtain power enough to oppose that youth. As the hero’s miko, as well as Nagi-sama’s partner.

That fairy, as well as that beastman, I’d have to utilize everything I had.

That was, for the hero’s sake, the extent of what I had to do as his miko, that was a duty I had to fulfill no matter what.