Chapter 572 – Somei Yoshino (11)

The inviting warmth of Venice’s blanket generously enveloped me.

A bed impervious to the intrusion of cold air.

Awakening from a shallow sleep due to the touch exploring me, Venice’s hand was gently caressing my cheek.

“…What are you doing, Venice?”

In the fog of sleep, I called her name, and as I tightened my grip on her waist, Venice, nestled against me, gently traced my eyelids with a complicated expression.

“Can’t sleep?”
“No, it’s not that. You just seem so pitiful.”
“…?”
“It’s because your moaning in pain is so loud, it hurts my ears and keeps me awake.”

I couldn’t comprehend her words at first, but the look on Venice’s face, her hand extended, moistened with perspiration, made it clear. It seemed an unfamiliar bout of insomnia, a kind of mental affliction, had taken hold of me once again.

“Ah… there’s nothing to be done about this.”

Lately, the nightmares feel as if they never happened at all. Whether it’s the medicine Alba provided taking effect, or my body adapting, the nightmares that used to ruin my mood the next day have significantly lessened.

However, I couldn’t prevent the physical transformations that occurred during these nightmares. While others might overlook such changes, Venice did not. The emotional resonances that emerged during these dreams must have been unbearably loud to her.

Rubbing her eyes, Venice yawned.

“Then I’ll sleep, you stay awake.”

Had she not said that, I would have done so on my own.

“If you’re bored, feel free to play with my body. It’s like the proverb about pleasing both the sister and brother-in-law, killing two birds with one stone.”
“Or perhaps you’re like Nolbu, trying to satisfy his lust even as he sleeps?”

Embarrassed, Venice turned her gaze away.

“……Well then. We both have no choice but to stay awake.”

As she lowered the thin black strap, her breasts were revealed. As my hand moved downwards to grasp Venice’s buttocks, a thrilling moan escaped her lips.

“Ah.”

The same girl who, with an eager expression, clung to me and began to tease me with her thighs.

“The one who was so eager to be on top during the day.”

And now craving to be beneath me at night. Venice unabashedly presented her tantalizing lower half to me, removed her underwear, and waved it in front of my face.

“I haven’t washed these.”
“Why would you put that on my face— Ah!”

Her underwear, sticky with arousal and potent with scent. Venice giggled as she pressed the part that had been snug against her sex to my nose.

As she gently rubbed her damp thighs against my still flaccid manhood, she said,

“You like this sort of thing.”
“……You’ve finally lost your mind.”
“Hmm, based on your reactions, you seem to enjoy it. Why, I wonder. Even when I was assaulted in the village, you were pressing your nose into my armpit. Especially the smell of dusty socks, I was quite surprised.”

I remained silent.

“The dust wasn’t just ordinary dust, it was soaked in my sweat, the result of two days spent traipsing about…”
“Please, enough.”
“There’s nothing unusual about being aroused by a female’s scent, why do you ask?”
“Maybe for animals, but humans are slightly different.”
“Hmm, well, regardless. My scent excites you, doesn’t it? We can do without the cleaning magic now.”

Please, don’t go there.
I enveloped Venice’s waist and began to make love with all the intensity I could muster.

“Huuh… Are you upset? Alright, alright. I’ll take it all. We are friends, right?”

Pop.

“Aah…!”

The tent began to sway.
As time passed, the returning lantern cast restless shadows onto our tent. The night was far from over.

* * * * * * * * * *

The following day.

We successfully entered the fourth gateway.

“Perhaps the real challenge starts here.”
“Do you know something?”

Venice nodded, unabashedly revealing her pussy.
Her clothes were torn in places, escalating from merely sexy to outright obscene.

“From here on, proper beasts are expected to appear. I heard it from the Yoshino clan.”
“Did they tell you that?”
“Of course, I eavesdropped.”
“Really? But, do you only have those clothes?”

Hearing my question, Venice widened her eyes and pulled something out from her pocket.

The black underwear that had been torn in yesterday’s playful encounter. I averted my gaze.

“They were my favorite.”
“…Hmm.”
“Well, I’ll let it pass since we’re friends.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you placing that small underwear on my head?”
“Nothing at all!”

It’s infuriating to see her so confident, especially when she had been the one to initiate our previous escapade.

Let’s move forward. As I stepped towards the temple, I could feel the dormant magical forces all around.

Thump.

“Do they expect us to struggle right from the first step?”

Venice uttered, observing the gigantic golem that had risen from the ground.
It was as large as a noble’s mansion.
Several magical circles were protecting its frame, ensuring it suffered no physical damage, and soon the golem began to charge at me, perhaps seeing me as an enemy.

[Grumbling sounds]

With a huge fist pulled back, it swung at me in an instant.
It felt like watching an oncoming train at full speed.
A boulder the size of a house came crashing down on me. Venice looked back at me, wondering what I would do.

“Looking at the magical circles, it… can only be defeated with the power of the spirit.”

There’s no such thing as ‘only’.
I gathered magic in my fist and launched a counter strike, mimicking the golem’s stance.

– Grrrrr!

Bang! Our fists collided.

A fissure erupted on the golem’s arm, and in an instant, its body lost equilibrium and crumbled.

[Krak?!]

A violent upheaval swept through the forest. The ground gave way, and consciousness ebbed from the golem’s eyes.

I had struck with the intent of reducing it to dust.
Clearly, the magical beasts here are formidable.

“I gave it my all… but they are rather strong. If this turns into a battle of attrition, I’ll tire out first.”
“……”

Venice’s countenance was a spectacle to behold.

“As per your suggestion, the path of least resistance seems preferable. Let’s employ spirit magic.”
“…After displaying that spectacle, you suggest this? There was no need to learn Spiritism.”
“Although that’s true, the necessity of Spiritism cannot be denied.”

Approaching the fallen golem, I found faint glyphs on the trunk of a tree that had grown beside the golem’s remains.

A simple equation was formed by an image of a human and a bird.

[Human] + [Bird] = ?

Interpreting it yielded a rough representation. I’m unsure why a bird is depicted as the representative of spirits. Presumably, it could be because when Elinis first met her father, she had assumed the form of a bird.

“What’s this?”

Upon asking Venice, who had followed me, she glanced once at the glyphs, then nodded, seemingly understanding.

“It’s Spiritification.”
“Spiritification… Ah, I see.”

The ability to maintain my magical characteristics on par with that of spirits, allowing me to harness the spirits’ power while also enhancing their innate abilities. It was similar to the stance of the Heavenly Demon’s Spirit that I had employed on the King of Trees previously.

“Spiritification is the zenith of Spiritism… The descendants of the Yoshino family called it thus, but in truth, it’s not difficult for a human and spirit with compatible souls to utilize.”

It seemed the fourth gate emphasized the cultivation of Spiritification. Especially evident when considering the magical beasts were designed to be susceptible to Spiritism.

“Have you used it before?”
“Perhaps.”

I revived memories of Eleanor and Lucy. Venice, not yet trusting me, clasped my hand with a hint of apprehension.

“If it’s true, then give it a try.”
“Is that wise?”
“It’s far easier to defeat them that way.”

This was my first attempt to use it on a humanoid spirit. Through our joined hands, I channeled my magical energy into Venice.

As the refined magic coursed through her, she twitched-

“Ahhh, ahhhh!?!”

Suddenly, she collapsed on the ground screaming, her eyes rolling back.

“Ah, oh…! Wait, just wait!”

Venice, spouting informal language, tried to release my hand. I let go of her hand and shrugged.

“Ughhhh… .”
“Why?”
“What kind of Spiritification is this?”

Venice’s skin seemed to have darkened slightly. It soon returned to its original pale hue, but she refrained from grabbing my hand again, as though the trauma lingered.

“Your method is excessively brutal. Your power, specifically… it’s savage.”
“Is it that severe?”
“It’s akin to the sensation I first experienced when you took me from behind.”

The raw analogy rendered the situation clear.
From Eleanor’s and Lucy’s reactions, I had predicted as much, but I hadn’t expected the stimulation to be of such a comparable magnitude.

“Forcefully aligning our frequencies in this manner might have an effect.”
“Is there a problem?”
“There is considerable strain on both of us. You’ll need to focus more on maintaining your magical energy. Spirits will also be more susceptible to being swayed by magic.”
“I see.”
“I don’t have intimate knowledge about spiritualization. However… I have a feeling that if you continue in your current method, you won’t be able to achieve a perfect form.”

Could my method be a slight deviation from the norm?

‘Saku’s Spirit Transformation.’

I recalled Saku’s movements that I had witnessed during the Forest Keeper Selection.
Saku had no visible spirit attached to her body then.
Not perceivable from the exterior, but her body was layered with the spirit’s magic.
Perhaps, true spiritualization is about completely becoming one with the spirit.

“So, how do you employ it?”
“Do you think I would know?”

Venice let her elongated elf ears droop, seemingly disheartened.
Then, as if remembering something,

“Ah. I’ve seen it before. The method of the Yoshino family’s heirs, who were training in spirit transformation.”
“Tell me quickly.”
“They tethered the spirit to their bodies and moved in unison until their frequencies matched.”
“Tether it to the body?”

Instead of merging with another spirit now, it’s appropriate to utilize the SSR spirit before us.
I released my hold on Venice, and Venice widened her eyes before breaking into a sly grin.

Let’s give it a shot.
Our thoughts brushed past each other almost simultaneously.

* * * * * * * * * * *

– Kwaang!

The Golem’s fist narrowly grazed past us.

“Is this right?”
“I don’t know. But I feel good.”

Insanity is pleasurable.

We, who were battling the gigantic beast, were currently casting spells while embracing each other.
We were tightly bound in a position that would befit a raunchy Western adult film.
Venice was rubbing against my torso and planting kisses on my cheek.

“Please, stay still.”
“Hey, aligning our frequencies is the basis of spiritualization.”
“What kind of frequency is this!”

Her elongated ears turned a shade of crimson, betraying her embarrassment.
Venice was clutching my back and applying pressure to my lower half.
Our clothes had rolled up, and our lower abdomens were pressing against each other.

“…!”

As a result, our reactions were inevitably delayed.
The moment the Golem’s fist was almost upon us, a shadow materialized from behind Venice, severing the Golem’s fist.

In the midst of the process, I noticed a slight drain of my magic, indicating the ongoing progress of my transformation into a spiritual entity.

‘I can certainly sense the gradual assimilation taking place.’

Could it be that only through further development here can one truly comprehend the essence of this spiritual transformation?

“Ah! Hey…”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to assimilate if we were in the throes of coitus?”

The one who fondled my lower regions mid-air delicately grasped my penis. In a bid to make him cease, I firmly smacked his buttocks.

“Ah…!”

Contrarily, he seemed to find pleasure in it, further moistening my lower regions. It was disconcerting.

Despite the monster still having us in its sights, this fool was preoccupied only with his own pleasure.

The eyes of the monster observing us seemed somewhat taken aback.