Chapter 41: Rita, the Skill Rebuilding, and a Promise – Part 3
I hope she did not hear those embarrassing lines.
“My personality probably won’t change even if I were to be reincarnated. So I’d be troubled if Rita isn’t around.”
“… I’m happy …. I’ll Engage … with you.”
“… We should do [Engage] … when we have more time later.”
Or rather, it would be impossible to complete the ritual in this state.
Right now, I had to stabilize Rita’s skills.
“Then, let’s finish this.”
“… Hmm. Ah. Ngh.”
I pinched the words [Opponent’s Area] with my fingers.
“Aaaaaahn.”
The exhausted Rita barely opened her eyes and arched her pale throat.
This would be the last.
I crammed the words [Opponent’s Area] in between the pulsating concepts!
There was no [Invoke] button in the [Skill Structure] window, because [Area Breaker LV 1] was a reconstructed skill.
The word [Readjustment] was displayed instead. This is it!
“I’ll readjust [Area Breaker LV 1]! [Skill Structure LV 3].”
“W-whoa. A-aaaaaah! Hmm —!! Nagi, Nagi!”
Rita arched her pale back. She was shuddering and pushing her hips against me.
Her big breasts changed shape in my hands. I could feel a mysterious sensation of pressure in the middle of my palm.
My magical power and Rita’s divine power were swirling around inside both of us.
“Nagi … hug! Please — hug!”
“Hug?”
“We’re separating … no. I don’t want to … be separated from Nagi. Together — always together ….”
I hugged Rita from behind as she requested.
At that moment —.
A thread of magical power overflowed from the [Skill Structure] window.
The thread crept around Rita’s body, linking both of us.
It was as if scanning both of us.
Could this be … similar to when I did [Engage] with Cecil?!
“… Ah, ah, aaaaaaaah. Nagi, it’s going in … hot … amazing … I’m so happy ….”
The center of Rita’s chest began to shine.
Something shining was in there.
Little Rita — Rita’s soul was about to come out.
A naked girl with a tail and ears*.
Could the [Engage] ritual have been established?
… I see. Earlier Rita vowed to be with me, and I said something similar.
Both of us said the word [Engage] after that, which explained the activation of this ritual.
“The person who embraces a lonely soul is the person ought to be loved.”
The palm-sized Rita with golden ears and a tail was struggling to come out of Rita’s chest —.
But before her soul could come out completely, Rita fainted.
“The ritual is … incomplete ….”
Ah.
Just as I thought.
Originally, this whole thing was not set up for [Engage]. Moreover, the vows we made were vague.
Or perhaps I should say that I was surprised Rita could summon her soul with just that.
“I’m sorry. Let’s do [Engage] some other time when you’re in a better condition, Rita.”
“I didn’t think I would accept it so easily.”
Even when she was in her soul form, Rita was Rita after all.
She folded her arms and threw out her chest while wagging her tail.
“But I will accept it entirely. So don’t give up, okay?”
“… Yeah.”
“Because I’m not upfront with my feelings.”
Having said that, her soul returned to Rita’s chest.
“Please guide me. The person I ought to love.”
Finally, I could only hear her voice in my ears.
When I realized, I found Rita sleeping with a calm face.
I invoked the skill.
[Area Breaker LV 1]
The skill to [Quickly] [Demolish] the [Opponent’s Area].
The [Readjustment] skill did not cause tremor or fever.
It was completely stable.
“… Phew.”
I stroked Rita’s hair.
I’m glad. Rita was also calm. Her breathing and heartbeat were stable, as well.
… Although, she would most likely be beet red and angry when she woke up.
But … I think it would be better for [Quick Structure] to be sealed.
Though convenient, problems occurred after invoking it.
It put too much burden on all the slaves.
“… Rita, I was thinking that you could have been broken.”
“… No … I’m fine.”
Rita was sleeping.
But she softly nodded when she heard my voice.
“… I was punished by Nagi … I’m happy … I’m glad ….”
“What are you dreaming about, Rita?”
“But … you can’t. … Because I can’t. My mind will be filled with nothing but happiness …. I want … Nagi’s scent all over my body … outside … and inside me … *sniff*.”
… She was fidgeting in her sleep.
That situation was … pretty bad.
But … my physical strength was also at the limit.
Come to think of it, I fought with Living Mail at noon, negotiated in Iris’ mansion, performed [Engage] with Cecyl, fought some more, then invoked [Reconstruction] on Rita —.
Sniff.
My outstretched hand accidentally touched Rita’s softest part.
Then, I lost my consciousness as well.
The next morning.
“… Good morning, Nagi.”
“… Good morning, Rita.”
“….”
We stared at each other.
Rita gave up first.
Her whole body turned beet red from embarrassment while saying, “I-I’m going to wash up,” and left the room.
She paused by the door and looked over her shoulder,
“Everything is true!”
“Huh?”
“Everything I said during [Readjustment] was true!”
“O-okay.”
“But! I’ll never say such an embarrassing thing again!”
“Don’t worry. I memorized every single word you said.”
“Wha … who … ugh! You’re such a bully, Master!”
While saying that, Rita dashed out of the room.
Shortly after, Iris knocked on the front door.
I got dressed hurriedly and greeted Iris who came rushing in.
Her green hair was disheveled; her short skirt was reversed. While trembling, she grabbed my hand.
Her complexion was — deadly pale.
“The devil is dead.”
Iris said.
The devil was bound with chains and locked up inside a barrier-enhanced prison cell.
However, invaders attacked the cell.
They were the three regulars who attacked us.
The prison guard that was beaten unconscious heard them saying “we might be able to redeem our failure if we kill the demonkin”. The prison guard had an amulet that allowed him to enter the barrier in case of an emergency. The bearded regulars snatched it to gain access into the barrier.
And then, the three of them killed “the devil”.
However, they were beaten at their own game.
The devil probably used his remaining power to invoke “Slow Field” and “Synthesis”.
Upon regaining consciousness, the prison guard found a strange object consisting of flesh and bones.
A creature with horns and wings was capturing the bodies of the regulars. They were all petrified in that position and died.
Iris did not show us the grotesque scene.
We probably would have nightmares for the next decade if we saw it ….
“I deeply apologize, Master Souma. It’s our mistake ….”
“It can’t be helped. Because no one could predict something like this.”
Really, those bearded regulars never did anything worth mentioning.
The true identity of the devil was … probably a “visitor”.
Inferring from the conversation with Rita, he was probably summoned by the King as a hero, who was then abandoned.
And in an attempt of regaining the recognition as a hero, he created a creature using Synthesis. His reason for targeting Iris was so that he could use the “blood of the Sea Dragon”. I guess he used the form of the devil from my world to hide his true identity.
Since he was dead, there was no way I could confirm that.
“Does this mean the incident is over? … For real?”
Iris was safe. The casualties of the regulars and adventurers were also small. There was almost no damage to the town itself. The regulars who came to attack us were gone. The maid Matilda was held responsible and was dismissed, and then was taken to Irgafa.
And since the devil was dead … could only mean the incident was resolved.
… However, there was still something bothering me at the back of my mind.
“Does this mean all we have to do is wait for the corps from Irgafa to arrive?”
“Yes. They plan to arrive by tomorrow evening. I would be grateful if Master Nagi could accompany me to Irgafa.”
“Of course.”
We would be saved if she could bring us along; even if we were to be lumped with the luggage.
“I’m planning to go around giving compensation … and rewards for the adventurers. I must also apologize for the lack of information from the regulars. Because everything … is my responsibility.
What are you planning to do, Master Nagi?”
“Today I’m going to discuss our next step with everyone, and then relax for the day.”
Since I had been working non-stop yesterday.
“I plan to prepare for the trip and do some shopping tomorrow. In the evening … I’m thinking of going to soak in the hot spring.”
I explained.
Then I received an entrance ticket to the best hot spring facility in town.
Author’s note:
[Quick Structure]
A derived skill from [Skill Structure LV 3] that was formed by the [Engagement] with Cecyl.
Instead of being able to immediately create an Ultra Rare skill among slaves, they are linked to one another for several hours by a thread of magical power. In addition, the skills created will be very unstable, so [Skill Structure] is needed to adjust it.
If left unadjusted, the skills and magical powers within the slaves will grow restive and cause a lot of problems ….
If that happens, either Nagi can take care of it, or extract the skill and annul it, which is also a high-risk and high-return skill.
Note:
*The author didn’t mention what kind of ears, but my imagination tells me they are some animal’s ears.
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