Chapter 89 Side Story Part 8: Rita’s Patrol, and [Complete Beast Mode]
This chapter is about Rita.
After reporting the situation to Cecile, she went out to make her rounds again.
***
“… No one can see you around here, right?””
After Rita reported the situation to Cecile, she left the cave…
Rita stopped in the shade of a tree a short distance away.
“Activate [Presence Detection]- No dangerous presences.”
Rita only felt Cecile and Reggie’s presence at the entrance of the cave.
‘I am in a blind spot from them. It’s fine here, I guess.“
Rita leaned against the tree and took a deep breath.
The sun had long since set and it was dimly lit.
Rita couldn’t hear any birds or beasts. Maybe they’re wary of her.
The air was chilly.
After rubbing her hands together for a bit, Rita clapped her hands together as if to raise her spirits.
She had already confirmed that the area around the cave was safe.
But there was always a chance. In order to protect her precious friends and Master, Rita wanted to check a wider area.
‘You never know what might happen during the night.
‘Even now, Master is stabilizing Iris and Rafilia. It is a necessary and important thing for us slaves, and it is like a… blessing. I wonder when Nagi will restructure my skill- now is not the time.
‘I have to keep the perimeter as safe as possible.’
But even the beastmen had a limit to how far they could go on foot. They were not suitable for running around the entire mountain. Rita needed to take a more suitable form to check a wider area.
“…I’ll use the skill Nagi gave me.”
Rita took another deep breath.
Rita was acting paranoid as she was once again active [Presence Detection].
‘No problem. Look to the right, look to the left,… okay? No one’s looking, right?
‘I don’t know what to do. I can’t believe I have to get … naked in this place.
‘I’m embarrassed. I wonder what Nagi would think if he sees me.
He wouldn’t … hate me, right? In fact, he’d probably say, “It’s fine. But the next time please make sure that you are- no, no, no, he won’t do that.”’
“Oh, my God. I don’t know what I’m thinking. There’s no way Nagi would say such a thing!”
Rita shook out her golden hair.
‘That’s enough. I’ve made up my mind. It’s for everyone’s safety.’
Rita ran her hand over the buttons of her dress.
The “Fighting Priest’s Clothes” that Rita was wearing were designed for ease of movement. She unbuttoned the back and undid the belt, which caused the clothes to fall down to her feet.
After that, the momentum was with her. As if to shake off her hesitation, Rita half closed her eyes and removed the underwear that covered her breasts. She pulled the last piece of underwear down her legs and exposed her skin to the night air.
Her white skin shone in the dim light. She knew no one was watching, but she couldn’t help but hold her chest.
‘I have to change my appearance soon…
“Activate [Complete Beast Mode LV 1]!”
Rita murmured, as if she were telling a secret.
The moment she said it, her white skin began to burn faintly.
‘This is the skill I received after froing my ‘Soul Engagement’ with Nagi. So, in a way, this skill is proof that I am Nagi’s. I still remember that──.
“No, no, no, no! I’m just cold!”
Rita’s appearance changed as she couldn’t help but speak.
The pure white ‘Divine Power’ enveloped her body.
Her golden tail extended. The pure white ‘Divine Power’ turned into golden light.
In the light, as if in a shadow play, Rita’s transformed into a four-legged beast. Her white body was enveloped by golden body hair. The shadow puppet Rita trembled as if checking the sensations in her body.
When the light eventually disappeared - Rita’s figure changed into a wolf with golden body hair.
“… success?”
Rita, the beast, turned her head to see what she looked like.
‘Yeah. It worked.
‘Well, it was never going to fail. It’s a skill that Nagi gave me.’
***
[Complete Beast Mode LV1]
Rita changes into her full beast form.
While transformed into a beast, muscle strength, instantaneous power, and her five senses are increased.
Movement speed is several times normal.
In addition, Rita can use her [Divine Power Grasp] even in this state, so her body is still strengthened. By concentrating the ‘Divine Power’ on the upper half of her body, she can literally hit someone’s body like a bullet.
Can only be used once a day.
If you are wearing clothes when you use it, they will tear. Please be careful.
***
“… Nagi hasn’t seen me, right?”
‘I can’t hear his voice, but I can still feel his presence.
‘It seems that my precious, precious Master is deep in the cave.’
“Thank goodness.”
Rita said with a small sigh.
Nagi has yet to see Rita in her beast mode. Nagi had told her that she would be a very beautiful beast …, but Rita was a little nervous … about how Nagi would react if he actually saw her.
‘No. It’s not that I’m anxious, it’s just that I’m not prepared for it. I’m such a wimp.’
Rita scratched the ground crisply with her animal paws.
She bent her body, stretched it, raised her back legs, lowered them- to check if she had full control of her body. Thanks to the fact that she was using a skill, she knew how to control her beast form.
Above all, this form allowed Rita a better understanding towards her surroundings.
The temperature of the ground, the movement of the wind, the position of the trees covering the mountain,everything.
“Well then, Rita Melpheus will go and make her rounds, Master.”
Muttering, Rita started running.
The wind rumbled in her ears. fr eeweb novel
Her speed was incomparable to when she was in her human form.
Every time she kicked the ground, the scenery around her flew backwards.
The feel of soil, the smell of grass, the smell of wood.
All of them showed Rita the way. She knew where to go and how to get there. Even in the middle of a mountain full of trees, it was impossible for her to run into a bump. Just by thinking that she wanted to run, her body started moving on its own. She had become a real beast.
Rita was using her legs to kick, jump, run ─no, sprint.
In no time at all, Rita had reached the side of the collapsed Valley of Mist.
She listened with her beast’s ears - and noticed that a presence was there.
It was in the sky.
A Wyvern was flying in the sky where the moon was shining. It was spreading its large wings and circling.
‘I don’t feel any hostility.’
The Wyvern was making a mournful sound. It was as if it was pestering someone.
‘I’ve heard that voice somewhere before.’
When Rita looked closely, she saw that the wings of the Wyvern were slightly damaged. She could see that it’s burnt.
‘That Wyvern won’t attack us. It gave its Blood Crystal to Nagi. It’s safe.’
Returning her gaze from above her head to the ground, Rita saw the collapsed Valley of Mist.
The valley that used to be shrouded in mist was filled with rocks and shadows.
The treasure guarded by the mummy Wyvern that was said to have been under there was in the hands of her Master.
If used well, that treasure could affect all the Dragons and people depending on them, but her Master didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so. He just wanted to rent out the Ilgafa Lord’s villa for a while, put the Heavenly Dragon Egg there, and leave it there.
‘I won’t divulge the secret to anyone, and I don’t intend to brag about it to anyone.
Maybe it’s because Nagi had a hard time in his original world, but he basically wants to be a ‘slacker’.
‘But because he is a softie and a hard worker, he ends up helping others, saying, “I can’t help it”.
‘I love that about him. Every time I hear that line, I want to hug him.
‘I can’t help but love the Master who rules over me.’
Rita’s beastly body quivered.
Perhaps it was because of the hair that covered her entire body, but she didn’t feel the least bit cold. She was rather warm.
A beastman lived somewhere between a wild beast and a man. Nagi probably brought out the power of the beast from within Rita. Even though Rita had been running at full speed, she wasn’t out of breath.
‘I’m sure that if I keep running like this, I can go anywhere I want.
For example, over that mountain, through the city streets, and beyond the horizon.
‘Maybe even beyond the borders of this country, to a land no one knows…’
“…”
Rita laughed, still in her beast form.
‘Who am I kidding? That’s impossible for me.
‘I’ve only been away from Nagi for a little while, but I miss him so much.’
Rita was looking for any sign of Nagi, who was at a cave on top of the mountain.
She felt like an invisible chain was connecting her to him.
It was connected to a deep part of Rita, and it stretched out all the way to Nagi.
Maybe it was because Rita was her beast form, but her instincts were more dominant than her logic.
She felt like she could do things that she normally wouldn’t be able to do in that form.
‘I want to go back.
‘I want to go back and hug Nagi. I want to cling to him. I want to put our noses together and swoon.’
“But just a little bit more.”
‘It’s important to check our safety.’
Rita spun around and started running down the mountainside.
After a while, her beast’s ears twitched, and she felt another presence.
‘A monster!’
“GURUUUUU!”
Rita saw a black beast with red eyes that seemed to burn with a glint of light.
“That’s a Blackhound, isn’t it?”
***
Blackhound
A beast that resembles a dog.
However, it is less than three meters in size. It is believed to be a wild dog turned into a monster.
Its weapons are its fangs and its fast moving body.
If you are a beginner, it is safer to avoid combat.
***
“GUUUUUUUAAAAAAA!”
Through the trees, zigzagging, the Blackhiund ran towards Rita. It opened its huge mouth trying to bite Rita, the golden wolf.
“… slow.”
With a swoosh, Rita’s body shuddered.
Blackhound’s fangs that were about to bite Rita - bit the air with a crunch.
The Blackhound, having lost sight of its target, looked left and right.
The Blackhound heard a sound from above its head and saw a golden beast in the air.
Even in her beast form, Rita’s [Divine Power Grasp] was still active. She kicked the ground and soared into the air. The Blackhound might have been able to do the same thing but their combat experience was different. Their intelligence was different.
“Don’t underestimate the slaves of Souma Nagi!”
“GU, GUAA…”
“Haouuuuuu─────!”
Rita’s howl was enough to cancel out the Blackhound’s voice.
The Blackhound, facing a disadvantageous situation, stiffened involuntarily. Rita’s front leg cleaved its torso. The Blackhound’s body was blown away. Spinning in circles, it crushed grass, broke branches, and slammed into a tree.
And it collapsed, having completely lost its will to fight.
“A…GU…Aa”
The Blackhound with its tail curled up, desperately begged for its life.
Rita snorted.
Before she knew it, Rita could feel other monsters approaching. But Blackhound was the only one that could even pose a threat to her. The rest were just weak monsters that didn’t dare make themselves known to Rita.
The Blackhound was in a pose of complete submission, showing its belly. It had a tree branch stuck in its body, and one of its front legs was pointing in a strange direction. It would be easier to put an end to it, but the Blackhound wanted to live.
Rita shook her head, and sent the heavily injured monster away.
‘I can smell the faint scent of blood on my nose. I don’t like it. I think I’ve got monster blood on me.’
“I want to go back to Nagi…”
‘I feel so lonely.
‘I have confirmed our safety.
‘I want to go back right now and have Nagi praise me.’
Rita kicked the ground in her beast form.
A golden beast ran up the mountainside. Rita concentrated her Divine Power on her upper body. If there was an enemy coming towards her, she would blow them away without a second thought. But no one approached Rita anymore. It seemed that the Blackhound from earlier was the Master of the monsters in that area.
Fearing Rita, who defeated it in an instant, monsters were groveling everywhere.
But Rita didn’t care about that.
All she could think about was her Master. She ran straight towards the cave wanting to reach there, even if just a second faster.
“… Huh?”
Before she knew it, Rita had passed the cave as she ran toward Nagi’s sign.
‘That’s strange. Nagi, you weren’t in the cave earlier, were you?’
Rita ran further up the mountain.
Nagi’s smell approaches me.
After a while, she found the entrance to a small cave.
Rita had already found the cave before when she was looking around earlier.
There was a faint smell of warm, steamy water coming from it.
Rita’s instincts got the better of her and she dove straight into the cave.
Beyond the dimly lit hole, he was there…
“Rita? Are you done with your rounds?”
He was there.
Sitting by a spring at the back of the cave, Nagi was stirring the water.
On his back, Reggie, who had taken human form, was attached to him and mumbling, “Isn’t it time already?”
At the end of the cave, which was about the length of a house corridor, was a small room.
There was a spring the size of a household bath. It seemed to have been hollowed out of the rock using ancient technology. Here and there on the surrounding walls were glowing orange lines. When Nagi touched them, the glow became stronger and steam rose from the spring. Water was constantly pouring into the spring from the walls, and the overflowing water flowed out of the gaps in the cave. It was a “boiling spring” that made use of nature.
Rita remembered Rafilia telling that the spring was made for Demons and Ancient Elves to bathe in.
According to Rafilia, using residual mana from the Valley of Mist, and adding one’s own mana into it, the water becomes just as warm as human skin.
The Valley of Mist had collapsed, so it looked like it was going to be useless sooner or later.
“… You really like to take a bath, huh.”
But that was good.
“It’s a good thing that Nagi likes to keep clean, as Cecile and I get to bath with him, too.”
Rita’s body started to shake involuntarily.
‘I forgot about it because I ran to Nagi on instinct, wanting to see him. But what should I do?’
Nagi saw Rita.
He saw Rita in her beast form, transformed by the [Complete Beast Mode LV1].
‘I’ve just fought a monster, run through the forest, and got dirt and branches stuck to me. I’m embarrassed. What should I do? What if he says I’m strange, or weird…’
“Rita, do you mind if I stroke you?”
“… Huh?”
“You’re so beautiful, I want to rub your back, can’t I?”
Rita’s precious Master reached out to her.
Rita couldn’t help but sigh.
‘This is ridiculous. What was I worried about?’
Shaking herself out of her faintheartedness, Rita reflexively took a “prone” position.
Nagi easily recognized Rita at a glance because of the collar.
The collar that was created due to the ‘Master-Slave Contract’ didn’t change even when Rita took her beast for. It stretched and contracted freely, holding her neck.
When Nagi touched her with his hand, Rita finally remembered that.
‘I feel like an idiot. I belong to Nagi, and Nagi is my Master. No matter what I look like, that will never change. I don’t know what I was so worried about.
‘I just need to be with Nagi like this.’
“I see. You used [Complete Beast Mode] to patrol, didn’t you, Rita? Good job.”
“… Wooo.”
Rita’s voice was inarticulate.
Because the vocal organs of animals and humans were different, the words she uttered changed into animal noises.
Rita, the beast, cleared her throat as Nagi’s fingers fondled her back. She felt like she was going to fall asleep.
“Mmm. I can’t take it anymore!”
Splash
Suddenly, Rita heard a big sound of water.
When she looked up in surprise, she saw that Reggie, in human form, had just jumped into the spring.
In the cave, steam was rising.
Nagi had poured his mana into the spring and changed its temperature to be moderately hot.
“Hmm. Wow. I love it!”
“You know, Reggie. Don’t just jump in without asking when we’re talking.”
“What? Didn’t Master promise to take a bath with me in the Valley of Mist?
The humanoid Reggie, who was sloshed around, was splashing hot water in the spring.
Nagi began to explain the situation to Rita, who was not quite sure what was going on.
When Nagi heard that Rita had found the bathing cave, he came to check on her.
Cecile was feeling tired from overuse of mana. Aine was preparing food. Iris and Rafilia were limping after the “stabilization”, so it was up to the cursed sword, Reggie, to guard Nagi.
It was only natural that Nagi would want his tired slaves to have a bath. But before that, it was inevitable that he would want to take a bath too. In addition, when he conquered the Valley of Mist, he promised Reggie, the cursed sword, that he would go shopping or take a bath with her as a reward, and Reggie chose to take a bath, and as soon as the water was warm, she stripped naked and jumped in.
“You were making sure the area is safe. We’ve decided that everyone will take a bath after dinner and Reggie and I will take a bath before dinner.”
‘It’s just like Nagi…’
Rita clears her throat lazily while being fondled by Nagi.
‘I’m sure he is tired as well, but he is doing this much for his slaves… or maybe Nagi just wanted to take a bath himself? I wonder which it is… Either way, it doesn’t matter.’
Nagi’s hands felt so good that Rita almost dozed off.
Rita wondered where her wild instincts had gone, but she couldn’t help it because she was too happy to be around her Master. She opened her eyes when she heard Reggie’s voice saying, “Come on, come on, don’t you want to come in too?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything strange to the tired Master. Besides, you taught me the joy of taking a bath together, didn’t you? Take responsibility!”
Reggie, who was shoulder-deep in hot water, is waving her hands in the air.
“Yes, yes.”
Nagi’s hand, which had been fondling Rita’s back, pulled away.
Rita and Reggie obediently turned their back on Nagi as he started to undress. Rita turned her beastly face toward the wall, but she could sense what Nagi was doing. He took off his jacket, he pulled his underwear as well.
“Nku.”
“Hoo!”
The duo of Master and the cursed sword, were floating in the hot water.
“It’s old, so I was worried it wouldn’t work, but it seems to be fine.”
“I want to take this home with me.”
“I wish I knew how this was structured.”
“Can’t you make a ‘bathing skill’ or something, Master?”
Rita started to get itchy.
Nagi and Reggie looked like very close friends. They seemed to be enjoying soaking in the hot water, back to back.
Rita almost stepped toward the spring, then stopped when she realized she was in her beast form.
Her limbs were covered with dirt. There were also leaves and twigs tangled in her body. She wanted to take a bath and wash, but she was too embarrassed to say so. Rita held her beast head saying, “Mhmmm”.
“… Would you like to join us, Rita?”
Her Master’s voice cut through Rita’s hesitation.
Or maybe it was reason rather than hesitation that cut her off.
‘Ugh, turn around! Nagi.’
She growled in a beastly voice, but Nagi seemed to understand what Rita meant.
Rita deactivated her [Complete Beast Mode LV1] without hesitation.
Once again, [Divine Power] enveloped Rita’s body. Slowly, her body structure changed.
Her golden body hair disappeared somewhere and white skin appeared.
Rita blinked her cherry-red eyes, reconfirming hre human body.
And her long golden hair teased her neck and chest.
‘Regardless of what Reggie said, Nagi was looking at me. He’s so kind. I love him. No, no, no, that’s not it…’
Rita sat on the edge of the spring and sipped the hot water with the palm of her hand.
Rita’s hands and legs were dirty as she had run using them in her beast form. After washing them off, Rita plunged her body into the warm spring.
“Wow. Mmm.”
The water, heated by mana, relaxed her tired muscles.
Her white skin started to burn. It was probably because of the hot water and Nagi.
When she put a little weight behind her, Rita’s shoulder touched Nagi’s back. Her other shoulder was around Reggie’s head. That’s how the Master, the beastman, and the cursed sword are sitting in the hot water like a triangle. There was not enough room for them to stretch their legs, so the three of them put their knees together.
“Huu…”
‘What should I do?’
Rita took the plunge and joined them, but she was too nervous to speak.
“I got a ‘reward’…”
“Rita, about that?”
“Yes, yes.”
“This doesn’t count as ‘time for Rita’. It’s not part of the compensation for your work.”
‘… What?
‘Time? For me…?’
Rita had said that she wanted to spend some time alone with Nagi as her reward for her work in Valley of Mist.
Nagi clarified the time when they were taking the bath together didn’t count.
“… pfft.”
“What is it?”
“Oh, come on, Nagi, you go out of your way to say things like that.”
Rita looked over her shoulder and saw the face of her precious Master.
‘Maybe it was the hot water, but Nagi’s face was also a little red. I felt relieved.
‘I am not the only one who is nervous.’
“You don’t have to worry about it. It’s enough that I am bathing with you right now. You can give my share of time to Aine.”
“That’s it then.”
“I’m sorry, I was lying!”
“… Foolish beastman girl. What are you doing digging your own grave?”
Reggie, who is up to her neck in hot water, was laughing and giggling.
“… What the hell? You’re just a sword.”
“Huh. I’ll take that as a compliment! Anyway, what are our plans for tomorrow, Master? After we go down the mountain, we will return to our villa, right?”
“Yes. Now it’s time for a real vacation.”
Nagi nodded, making a splashing sound.
“The only work I have to do now is to get Iris to write a letter and tell the Lord that I’m renting out the villa for a while. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be used much, so we probably can keep everyone away for a couple of years. I’m going to build an altar under the floor and hide the Heavenly Dragon Egg.
“The only one who knows about the Egg are us and Raijika.
“Cecile’s [Magic Detection] is almost imperceptible. We should be able to hide the Egg without any problems. Raijika said that the Heavenly Dragon can live on their own after they hatch, so that’s all we have to do.”
“What about searching for the Heavenly Dragon’s legacy?”
Reggie, who had been attached to Nagi’s back for some time, asked.
‘It’s not fair to stick to him.’
“I’ll get to that later. I want to do some more research on the legend of the Heavenly Dragon. If possible, I’d like to use the materials in the library of the Magic Research City. Either way, it’s not something that can be solved right away.
“That’s right.”
“Well.”
The Master, the beastman, and the cursed sword all exhaled in unison.
The spring water was warm and gentle, and they almost forgot that they were on top of a mountain.
Before she knew it, Rita was holding Nagi’s hand in the hot water. Reggie was holding his hand on the other side.
‘There’s no other Master who would take a bath with a cursed sword, right?
‘Of course, it’s rare for a Master to bathe alongside his slave like this.’
‘… feels good… with Nagi in the bath…”
“Yeah, me too. Bathing with my family was something I longed for in my original world…”
Nagi spilled out a few words.
‘Nagi’s family…’
Rita’s heart started to ache. She had to tell Nagi something. It was important and that moment was her chance.
‘For me, Nagi is my “Master”, my “favorite person”, and…’
“Oh, you know what? Nagi. I’m also…”
“Mwah! As expected of my Master. That’s what I’m talking about. You’re right!”
Reggie────!
The words she was about to say were drowned out by Reggie and Rita glanced sideways at the red-haired cursed sword girl next to her.
“Good. If that’s the case, let’s take turns making ‘Bath with Master Day’ starting tomorrow!”
“You’re acting weird again, Reggie…”
“Na-na, Nagi. I… well, I…”
“Yes! Each day, a slave will take bath with Master. For example, on days divisible by three, it’s the flabby Demon’s turn, on days divisible by two, it’s the beastman girl, and on days divisible by one, it’s my turn! How about that? I think it’s very fair!”
“Go relearn the word ‘fair’! I mean, every day is divisible by one, right?”
“Wow, I’m divisible by two? That’s… that’s… that’s…”
Although Reggie interrupted her words, Rita found the suggestion very tempting, and Rita started counting days. She counted the days of the month that she and Nagi would be together… one, two. A lot? That’s…
“Hah.” “Fu” “Fuwa”
But the three of them were in warm water.
Rita’s body and mind started to loosen up, and she couldn’t think very well.
“We’ve worked a lot today, so we’ll think about the hard stuff tomorrow.”
The two of them nodded their heads somehow on Nagi’s words, and then began to relax in the bath again.
“… It’s so warm.”
“I know, right?”
Fluffy. Soft and fluffy.
“We’d better get back. Others are waiting for us.”
Realizing that Rita was starting to get dizzy, Nagi called everyone off.
“After you.”
“Well, feel free to…”
“Reggie will only get out when Nagi is fully clothed!”
Rita hugged Reggie with both arms as she casually tried to climb up with Nagi.
She was tiny, but a lewd cursed sword. It was dangerous for Rita to leave Reggie with naked Nagi.
After confirming by signs that Nagi was dressed, Rita released the humanoid Reggie.
Reggie honestly wiped her body with a cloth and changed into her usual clothes.
Then it was Rita’s turn.
Nagi and Reggie had their backs turned, so that she could get…
“Speaking of which, Rita, where are your clothes?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be a beast again with [Complete Beast Mode]…”
Rita tried to activate her skill, but…
[Complete Beast Mode LV1]
Can only be used once a day.
“Aaah──! Oh!”
***
“… Nagi. Don’t look at me…”
“I won’t look, just follow me slowly.”
‘How did this happen?
‘How can this happen when I was so cool and determined earlier?’
Rita, half crying, followed Nagi.
It was about a ten-minute walk to the cave. Thanks to the moonlight, Rita could see clearly underfoot. But seeing clearly is a big problem. With tears in her eyes, Rita held the cloth wrapped around her waist.
She could only use [Complete Beast Mode] once a day. So she couldn’t activate it again.
She had left her clothes near the cave by a tree when she activated her skill.
That’s why the only thing Rita was wearing was a bulky underwear (top) that she borrowed from Nagi. Because the length of the underwear was a little uncomfortable, she had wrapped the cloth that Nagi and Reggie used to wipe their body around her waist. It just barely covered her important part. But it was very difficult to walk. It seemed like a lie that she was running around the mountain just before.
“‘What are you so shy about now?”
As she walked hand in hand with Nagi, Reggie snorted.
“You were running around naked in the mountains a while ago, weren’t you?”
“No, that’s another story! It was in a different form! It’s the same, but different!”
“Yes, it’s different. It seems the same, but it’s different.”
Rita stuck her tongue out at Reggie, who laughed, and continued walking again with a sluggish gait.
‘I am so uncool.
In addition, my legs are a little sore. My thighs feel like they are sticking up. Is this muscle pain?
A side effect of [Complete Beast Mode] because I used my body differently than usual?’
“Rita, have Aine take a look at it later. We’ll delay our departure tomorrow so you can get some rest.”
“Ahhh. Rita Melpheus, the disappointment of a lifetime. …”
“Just knowing the weaknesses of your skill is a bonus, right?”
“I won’t use it anymore. I won’t use it ever again. I won’t use [Complete Beast Mode] unless I’m really desperate.”
“… You looked so beautiful in that form though.”
“Nagi, don’t tease me.”
In any case, if Nagi ever asked her to use her skill, she wouldn’t be able to say no, and she was certain to turn into a beast again. Knowing that, Rita changed her vow to never revert back to her human self until she finds her clothes if she ever uses [Complete Beast Mode].
But that determination was also wavering because of the clothes she was wearing and the cloth she had wrapped around her waist.
Both of them were used by Nagi a while ago, and they still smelled of him.
The loneliness that she felt when she was running around as a beast disappeared, but instead, the physical pressure of her heart beating too fast made her face bright red and difficult to walk.
“I can’t help it.”
Nagi stopped and crouched.
“… piggyback ride?
“If you’re embarrassed, I won’t… I won’t look.”
“Besides, we both forgot that [Complete Beast Mode] can only be used once a day.”
“Huu…”
Rita twirled her wet hair around her fingertips and then, as if she had made up her mind, leaned her body against Nagi’s back.
Nagi stood up.
Rita’s whole body snuggled against Nagi’s. She couldn’t help but sniff his neck and mumble something.
Reggie said, “Master’s back is my fixed position. I’m going to give it up for today.” But Rita ignored that.
‘I feel bad for Aine. She is promised Nagi’s time, but he’s given me a lot of time already. His smell, warmth, the clothes that cover his bare skin, Nagi gave all of them to me.’
Rita’s surroundings were filled with Nagi… and she reaffirmed that it was the best place for her.
Even if she were in full beast form, even if she could run through the mountains during the night, Rita would still end up coming back here. To the place where she feels safe, to the person she wants to be with.
‘No matter where the party goes from here, no matter if the “Heavenly Dragon Egg” hatches in front of me and a giant Dragon covers the sky, my place is here.’
“… Huh?”
Suddenly, the bag that Nagi had tied around his waist touched Rita’s leg.
‘Something round and hard. Something warm. What’s this?’
“Nagi, why are you carrying around the ‘Heavenly Dragon Egg’?”
‘He’s following me. It probably likes me.”
“Oh yeah, …”
Rita - because she didn’t feel like she was being rejected - touched the “Heavenly Dragon Egg”.
Rita didn’t know when the Egg would hatch, but she knew that the Heavenly Dragon that would be born from it would live a much longer life than her. It would be strong and big, and be able to fly far away. The fact that she and Nagi existed was a tiny and small matter, but…
“… I, Rita Melpheus, love my Master.”
She wanted the Heavenly Dragon to remember her for a moment, so she brought her lips close to it and whispered .
Of course, she only moved her mouth so that Nagi couldn’t hear her.
‘No matter how strong I become, no matter if I become a ‘4-concept cheat character’, my loyalty will never waver. I think that you also like Nagi now. I’m not going to let you get away with him. Just remember that…”
The “Heavenly Dragon’s Egg” didn’t respond.
‘Well, I didn’t have any expectations from the start. I mean, why am I talking to an egg?’
Rita turned bright red and looked up, and before she knew it, she was very close to the cave.
The “Fighting Priest’s Clothes” that she had taken off were neatly folded and placed under a tree.
“We’re here,” Nagi said, and Rita got off his warm back.
Rita’s arms and legs were still a little sore from the side effects of the [Complete Beast Mode]. Even so, Rita took a precautionary stance and stared straight at her Master who had brought her this far. She felt embarrassed, and she knew that her heart was throbbing, but she had to thank him.
Leaving aside the smirking Reggie beside her, Rita said a few words while holding her chest.
“Thank you very much. Master.”
Then she bowed deeply.
Her animal ears twitched and her tail flapped.
Her body was expressing loyalty and gratitude with every fiber of its being.
“Yeah, um… And thank you for taking a bath with me. I’ll be careful to use [Complete Beast Mode] next time. I’m sure the sore muscles in my body will be better tomorrow. And also…”
‘It’s still not enough. I want to keep talking like this.’
Before she knew it, Rita’s tail was moving faster. It moved so fast that even Rita couldn’t control it.
Its momentum was so strong that it rolled up the underwear (top) Rita had borrowed from Nagi to the top of her stomach, and blew the cloth around her waist in the opposite direction…
“”──────Ah!””
Nagi, Rita, and Reggie’s voices overlapped.
Who noticed it first - was it Rita with her swooshing lower body, Nagi standing in front of her, or Reggie next to her with his “that’s pretty good” look on his face?…
The next thing everyone knew, Rita was cowering in a body hug.
Reggie was giving a thumbs up to Nagi, but that’s what she wanted him to say. Nagi still mumbled Rita’s favorite line, “It can’t be helped,” and offered Rita her clothes that she had left under the tree.
‘But you saw it. You saw it. You have it burned into your eyes. I know.
‘You don’t know how much I’ve been following your gaze with my eyes, do you?
‘Nagi is … too!’
“I’ll never use [Complete Beast Mode] again! I’m never using [Complete Beast Mode] again!”
That’s why, no matter what kind of amazing skills Rita gets, no matter if she becomes a ‘cheat character’…
At her Master’s side, she will always be a sweet and careless girl.
Rita reconfirmed this about herself.
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