Chapter 817 – 7th Wish (After)

000

Tokoyo also had unspeakable concerns.

That is, one day has passed since the Five Elements Festival began, and even as the sun sets on the second day, the abilities that her shrine maiden should have are still holding back Kuon.

It seems that Kuon himself is not aware of her reversed power relationship, but for Tokoyo, who has to chase after her, she was a thought-provoking thought in many ways.

Perhaps, it would be more effective in purifying her divine tree if Kuon did it alone rather than taking turns with her.

Then, why don’t you tell Kuon about it?

Wouldn’t it be okay for her to control her powers a little, or leave Kuon with her consciousness alone?

There was no way I could say something like that.

She herself is the great shaman of Asteris, and has inherited this important responsibility from her mother.

However, even though she is said to have inherited the same bloodline, it seems as if she is running away, leaving everything to Kuon, who is an outsider to her. 〉

Her consciousness is painful.

Shinmu takes away a person’s stamina, and emptying one’s insides was like emptying one’s internal organs by continuously vomiting them out.

Until now, she had not spoken to anyone or complained, but every time Tokoyo danced, the feeling of turning into something other than herself and the deep fatigue that remained in her body could not be improved.

Perhaps, it may be the same for other shamans as well.

Maybe her mother was like that too?

In the end, there are limits to human abilities, and a shaman simply compensates for those human limitations by borrowing the power of God.

If we didn’t go that far, we couldn’t solve the fundamental problem of this place called Asteris.

So – if someone had to do something, they had no choice but to do it, no matter how much they hated it.

But what about Kuon?

It was no different from the fact that she had been dragged into this by force.

From the first time I saw her, I could tell that she was a good person, and I expected that she wouldn’t refuse if I asked her to do it.

Unlike her calculating nature, she accepted some of the duties of being the great shaman of Asteris, who, as she thought, had nothing to do with it other than her blood.

She may have been bad at Shinmu and Jujutsu at first, but I thought she had basic aptitude.

Making up for it with practice and raising one person’s share within one month could not have been achieved without both ‘talent’ and ‘effort’.

And now, she has heard the voice of her divine tree, accepted it, and grown into a great shrine maiden beyond herself.

It was something she was proud of as her teacher, but it was also an embarrassment to her.

Even though she knew that wasn’t the case, the bad thoughts slowly blooming in her head-

‘In the end, was she someone who lacked talent and determination?’

─, Nothing but dark self-loathing.

To deny those thoughts to yourself and never show them to others-

He said he couldn’t stop dancing at the ceremony.

Thinking like that, I tried to end the day today.

This is what she says, until suddenly Cleon appears and speaks to her.

The story of a wish to turn back time, and the strategy of having Nayuta’s ghost possess someone else to solve it.

If left unattended, they must fight against an infinite number of monsters in a time prison from which they will never be able to escape.

For that purpose, Tokoyo unconsciously thought ‘no way’ to borrow Kuon’s power.

Because he acknowledged that Kuon’s value as a great shrine maiden is higher than that of himself.

And, at the same time.

As a person who has inherited the blood of the great shaman, I have to do something.

I’m so ashamed that I can’t raise my face to my ancestors.

001

After hearing Tokoyo’s answer, Cleon soon finished his deep thoughts and nodded.

“… Okay. If you say that much. Please do me a favor.”

Tokoyo, who felt fortunate that Cleon had agreed, clenched the hand he had placed on his chest into a fist and spoke while patting his chest.

“What! Originally, solving problems related to ghosts and nobles is the most basic job that a great priestess of Asteris must do. … So? What should I do now?”

“With the magic tool Lila made, you just need to inject Nayuta’s thoughts into Tokoyo…”

As Cleon said that, he tried to take something out of the bag, but suddenly stopped his hand.

“… Before that, I want to ask you something, Tokoyo.”

When Cleon spoke with a worried look in his eyes, Tokoyo shrugged her shoulders and answered him.

＂What is it? Ask me anything.”

“The nobles who were sealed under the blood curse… Can they be released along the way?”

When Cleon asks that question, Tokoyo closes her mouth for a moment and then her expression darkens.

“… Sorry, we can’t do that on our own.”

And she was explaining something about the spell that seals nobles.

The noble sealing technique used in the temple was created by a great shaman quite a long time ago, and although there are instructions for using it now, there is no clear method for removing the seal.

However, the only technique that has been passed down is that if the ghost disappears from within the sealed noble, the seal is lifted voluntarily and the sealed person is liberated.

It is said that this is to prevent the case where someone in the temple liberates unpurified nobles with malicious intent.

Considering that such secret struggles often took place in the past, it would seem that even preparations that were considered excessive were natural at the time.

“… But why are you suddenly asking that?”

To Tokoyo’s question, Cleon answers that he sealed Aisha in her sealing area in order to enter the temple.

At the same time, he himself looked quite dejected when he heard that for Aisha to be released, the ghost inside her must disappear, and that she must wait for an unknown time.

If Aisha knew that, wouldn’t she have decided to seal herself?

Moreover, Noctis outside may not be able to escape from Tindalos safely either.

This has never happened before – since Tindalos is a monster that chases time, even if time is turned back when attacked by them, there is no way to know whether the wounds will recover.

As if bewildering the two people’s determination, is it really the right answer to solve everything here and now?

While Cleon’s agony, determination, and worry were swirling, what was passing through his head was the image of Lila seen in the previous retrograde.

‘If time goes back anyway, the broken house will return to its original state.’

She took advantage of her time-honored nature to do what was most effective for her without hesitation.

And, her bag containing her magic tools given to her by her.

Thanks to the power of the cylinder, the items inside the bag do not disappear even when time goes back.

Cleon, who had finished thinking to that point, looked at Tokoyo and spoke.

＂… I’m sorry Tokoyo! This story… Let me tell you one more time.”

＂… What does it mean?＂

Looking at Tokoyo who tilted her head as if she had no idea what Cleon was saying, Cleon was conveying his thoughts.

“The reason Aisha’s sacrifice had to be made when we entered this place is because of the temple’s rule that people without prior appointments cannot enter unless it is urgent business. … So, I feel sorry for Tokoyo. One thing, I want you to lie.”

＂Lie…?＂

“Okay. “It’s a lie that you made an appointment with us in advance.”

As Cleon said that, he took out Noctis’ notepad from his bag.

“Here, you write it yourself. He made an appointment to meet me and my colleagues at this time. And along with something that can serve as evidence that you wrote it down.”

She reacted as if she didn’t understand Cleon’s words for a moment, but then looked at him while holding her breath.

“… I’m thinking of going back in time once more. Cleon.”

“Because that is the only way to prevent Aisha from being sealed. And… I’m also worried about the guy left alone outside.”

Turn back time and make Aisha’s seal never exist.

And for the rest of her time, Cleon seeks out Noctis and protects her from Tindalos.

In order for everyone to get through safely, that was the only way.

In the next loop, he wanted Tokoyo to create something that could serve as evidence, as promised in advance, so that he could reach this point even if he didn’t do that.

“Surely, if that’s the case, we can come without anyone having to sacrifice anything.”

Tokoyo nodded after hearing Cleon’s strategy.

However, she looked like she was worried about something.

“Cleon. But I don’t know if I’ll be able to give the same answer again. You might say that none of us can be a vessel? “Are you not worried about that?”

When Cleon heard her question, she answered calmly.

“Ah. If that’s the case, I’m not worried.”

You will give the same answer, Cleon was replying.

＂…＂

After hearing Cleon’s answer, Tokoyo shrugged her shoulders as if there was nothing she could do, and instead of receiving a notepad from Cleon, she herself took out an amulet with nothing written on it from her arms.

＂No matter how much my writing is written on a notepad like that, they won’t acknowledge it.＂

Then, she wrote a sentence allowing Cleon and his party to enter the amulet and returned it to Cleon.

“Now, if you show this to the guards and shamans of the temple, they will guide you not only in and out but also here.”

Cleon accepts it and carefully puts it inside the bag.

＂Thank you.＂

When Cleon answered so briefly, Tokoyo smiled.

＂Why to this extent? You have to explain the same thing to me in the next time slot so that I can believe it.”

Cleon nodded his head at her words and left the main hall of the temple.

Tokoyo myself, I don’t know if it’s right to do this, but-

It was impossible to shake off the feeling that he wanted to save someone.

002

“Joe, it’s okay… If you do it this way, even those guys won’t be able to do anything.”

Noctis muttered and looked around the barricade he had made.

A barrier created to protect oneself after moving to a place where people can’t see as much as possible.

Stack the boxes as much as possible, creating a gap that can only fit you.

Also, on the outside of the box, medicinal ingredients said to be effective in driving away flying animals were piled up.

Although the smell was a bit unpleasant, I couldn’t make a noise in this situation.

All that’s left is to get inside the box and close the lid.

It took a while and the fireworks were about to start, but somehow she managed to finish it before the Tindalos showed up, and she calmed her nervous mind with her breathing.

“It’s okay… If I get through this one time, time won’t go back again… Then I’ll be able to say goodbye to these monsters…”

Thinking that Cleon will be granting Nayuta’s wish by now, I reassure myself that this boring hour of repetition will end.

At that time, I felt the sound of firecrackers exploding from afar, like ‘Boom!’.

＂Ugh…!＂

When I was startled and trembled unconsciously at the sound, one of the boxes I had piled up around me was shaken by the shock and almost collapsed, but I managed to catch it and stop it.

Noctis exhales.

However, if there is one thing she overlooked, it is that Tindalos is not an ordinary flying animal.

And, if you were to create a place where Tindalos would not come and hide – it had to be a place without ‘edges’.

Of course, since she didn’t know that, she couldn’t help it.

As usual, right before Tindalos appears, I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Not far away, but right close.

It was also inside the barricade made of boxes, not outside.

＂Uh, what…?＂

Why? Before the question could even cross her mind, she saw black smoke rising from inside her box and Tindalos slowly growing from there.

＂Aaaaah!＂

She screamed, got up from her seat, and hit her head on the lid of the box that had been placed over her head.

Thud! As she screams, the boxes around her shake once again, and she collapses in her seat from the impact that hit her head.

＂Ugh…!＂

But, she wasn’t like this when she was doing something stupid.

When she opened the lid and immediately jumped out of her barricade, Tindalos shook her whole body inside her box, blowing away the surrounding boxes.

“I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!”

As she jumped out from among her boxes, tumbling across the floor, she felt her body freeze as she looked at Tindalos, who was glaring at her.

She has to escape from here somehow. As she was about to get up while thinking that, she simultaneously felt the same presence behind her.

The Tindalloth that appeared to target her was not one.

＂Well, like that…＂

When Noctis realized that the exit was blocked by the Tindalos, he made a despairing expression, and the Tindalos followed their instincts and jumped in with their mouths wide open to devour the person who committed the time shift in front of them.

＇─Ah, this is oatmeal─＇

If she closes her eyes tightly, in a situation that is not strange even if she gives up everything.

Something fell straight through the ceiling.

It fell like a meteor amidst the pouring moonlight, and struck down Tindalos, who was trying to attack Noctis from the front, and severed her head.

＂Eh…?＂

The sudden occurrence made her stare blankly at the scene, and through the rising smoke, she saw the young man waving his hand in front of her face while coughing.

“First, because I was in a hurry, I broke the ceiling and came in. Wow. What is this foul smell…?”

Stepping out of the smoke was Cleon, holding Caliburn in her hand.

＂Cleon!? Why here!? Is it over already!?”

“Huh? Ah. No. I decided to turn back time one more time. There’s also something about Aisha’s sealing… Noctis, I’m worried about you.”

At Cleon’s words, Noctis looks blankly in that direction, but when he hears a cry of ‘Grrr…’ Coming from behind, he flinches his back and trembles, trying not to look back.

＂Let’s organize these guys for now.＂

Cleon extended his hand toward Noctis’s back, and then a flaming chain appeared from thin air and bound Tindalos’ body, blocking his escape.

＂Well, like that…＂

“Don’t worry, Noctis. Because neither Aisha nor you will be left alone.”

As Cleon spoke, he swung his sword inside the building under the moonlight.

After subduing Tindalos with a move that is close to unilaterally massacring him, he places his sword on his shoulder and speaks.

“Okay, next time, let’s finish this loop.”

Carrying on his back a large firework exploding in the distance, Cleon was determined to end everything.