Ch.115115. Birdman (3)

The day the incident occurred seemed like any other ordinary day.

“Let’s get ready, Corin.”

[········Okay!!]

After Corin was finally freed from that Birdman tribe, we settled in a nearby field and continued our training while sharing our achievements with each other.

While I had gained the power to wield various magics based on primal mysteries, one might wonder what achievements Corin had accumulated, being merely treated as the tribe’s idol.

But Corin wasn’t just being worshipped.

Among the Birdmen who serve the Thunderbird, a high-level spirit, many have obtained the Thunderbird’s mysteries, though their power naturally falls far short of Corin’s.

Of course, they’ve tried to find ways to utilize and apply these limited mysteries, so it’s only natural that their techniques for handling mysteries are more precise than Corin’s, who can simply attack by discharging electricity through mystery.

Ah, but that’s not to say Corin is wasting the vast amount of mystery he possesses.

From the start, since Corin uses his own mystery directly, he doesn’t need to contort his entire body while groaning from low output.

Rather, he actively leverages his strengths while accepting and incorporating what he can learn from others.

That’s why Corin actively embraced the techniques of handling mysteries from them…. As a result, he gained the power to control not just lightning but also ‘thunder.’

-Krrrrrrrrrrrr─!!!

True to the name “Thunderbird,” the thunder mystery that Corin learned to control is, in simple terms, the ability to manipulate sound waves with physical force—shockwaves.

He can fire it like a projectile or beam at a single target, release it from himself as an area attack, or emit it defensively just before being hit.

Thanks to this, Corin—who previously could only fly quickly and unleash high-powered lightning attacks (which wasn’t bad, just that having more versatile roles is better)—can now contribute more diversely in battle.

[─Take this!]

[Counter it─!!!]

-─KWAAAAAAAAANG!!!

Anyway, while we were enjoying our magical sparring session, exchanging attacks back and forth.

The incident began when a Birdman approached us at this moment.

[Thunder Eagle! Companion! It’s, it’s an emergency!]

“······Who are you?”

The Birdman had a face familiar to us.

He was the tribe’s shaman chief, second only to the chieftain in rank. With his feathers partially dyed yellow, he was acting as if some incident had occurred.

Worried that something serious might have actually happened, the shaman chief Birdman naturally shook what looked like ceremonial tools and began to speak.

[Our Ancestor-Spirit, the Great-Thunderbird has descended!]

“······What?”

[R-really·····?!]

Ancestor Spirit—literally a being that could be considered their blood ancestor—had descended.

While we were taken aback by this formidable entity, he tried to engage in conversation while visibly struggling to hide his nervousness.

[Yes, yes! That’s right! And the Great One wishes to meet Thunder Eagle… I’m here to relay that message!]

“········I see.”

I roughly understood the situation. Piecing together wild intuition and circumstantial evidence, the flow of events seemed to be something like this:

The Great-Thunderbird, having somehow detected the presence of Corin, a fellow member of its species, had personally descended to meet this rather rare kinsman.

If taken too seriously, this could become endlessly gloomy, but looking at it more simply, it felt like a relative of a friend wanting to meet up.

“What do you want to do, Corin?”

[I… don’t think there’s any way to avoid it anyway, so I think we should go meet them.]

With Corin’s opinion also leaning toward meeting them, the answer was essentially decided.

“Alright. Let’s go quickly then.”

[Oh, ohhhhh!! Understood, Companion!]

Following the strangely excited shaman chief Birdman, we headed to the village through paths that had become familiar during our days of stay.

Hoping that nothing serious would happen.

※ ※ ※

And, shortly after.

We walked for about 5 minutes and arrived right in front of the Birdman village….

[“····!!”]

The moment we encountered the Great-Thunderbird waiting there, Corin and I couldn’t help but freeze completely.

It was thunder, it was lightning, it was a living spirit deity of the storm.

-─KRRRRRRRR!!!

Every time it flashed its beak and blinked its eyes, thunder and lightning naturally struck all around, and when it flapped its wings, strong winds blew and dark clouds formed in the high sky.

This was far from the magical special abilities possessed by ordinary magical beasts, where “phenomenon B occurs according to theory A.”

It was more like phenomena occurring because they had the right to occur and because they must occur. While special abilities are merely “abilities,” this was manipulation of the very laws on which those abilities are based.

Each feather extending from its body was the embodiment of mystery, compressing thunderstorms and lightning storms to their extreme.

Its beak and teeth emitted flashes of lightning, being made of energy derived from the mystery of lightning, and its flesh hidden beneath the feathers was filled with pulsating, overwhelming power.

Though its physical body had descended to the material world, one could tell at a glance that it was made of something beyond, and despite using the Fear I gained from my contract with Gretel, I couldn’t offset the pressure it exuded.

Its existence, the density of its being, was different.

The Great-Thunderbird before my eyes shattered my expectations, which had only gone as far as recalling a few hostile superior beings I’d met, like sphinxes or melusines.

Even compared to Mother… no, even compared to any being I’ve ever met, it might clearly hold the upper hand.

That’s how tremendous the atmosphere and mystery emanating from the Great-Thunderbird I encountered was.

‘No wonder… it’s called a spirit “deity”…!!’

I could deeply feel why this being was regarded as both a spirit and a deity.

Its capabilities, which could never be handled by simply calling it a superior spirit, told me that this being was what I had only heard of as “transcending the superior.”

[….You’ve arrived.]

“…………?!!”

And even after hearing the first words uttered by the Great-Thunderbird, this mental and spiritual shock showed no signs of subsiding.

The pressure from the physical manifestation of the demigod, its presence, struck my mind and soul directly.

The atmosphere strongly constricted me, making me feel like I should kneel and submit immediately… but to yield? Absolutely not.

I could be certain. The Great-Thunderbird that had directly descended before me had no intention of being hostile toward me.

From my direct perception, if it truly intended to be hostile and kill me, the surrounding mystery would have responded and resonated with just such a thought, tearing me to shreds.

Those commonly called gods, beings liberated from physical bodies and reaching more higher-dimensional realms… were enough to give me a fresh shock, but that was the extent of it.

No matter how much it had broken free from the shackles of mortality, it was still a thunderbird that once walked the earth. There was no need to be overly frightened and flee.

Therefore, while desperately surrounding myself with Fear to protect my mind and soul from the factors causing injury, despite this resolve.

I faced him squarely and opened my mouth.

“Was it you, Great-Thunderbird, who called for me and my friend?”

While it didn’t seem intent on killing me, the outcome of this attempt was completely unknown.

Given that there are countless individuals with broken personalities in this world.

There’s no guarantee it wouldn’t cut off one of my arms just because my attitude seemed impudent.

And…. To reveal the result in advance, it seems my gamble was successful.

[Hmm. Yes, you have quite the spirit for a mortal these days. Befitting one who has made a contract with my former kin.]

“That’s… too much praise?”

[Bah. I bet you’re inwardly complaining about me putting on unnecessary airs.]

In a place where all the other Birdmen had fainted, unable to withstand the pressure, the Great-Thunderbird spoke with an unexpectedly casual and easygoing manner that couldn’t be inferred from its appearance.

[So, young kinsman. Are you doing well?]

[Yes, yes! I am!!]

[Good to see you so spirited. ….Who are your parents?]

[I was kidnapped by poachers while still in my egg, then rescued, so I don’t know!]

[I, I see……]

A classic derailment!

The Great-Thunderbird, who seemed to be conducting a simple family registry check, showed considerable confusion, and only then could I feel at ease.

It seems this spirit deity didn’t have any ill intentions in wanting to meet us.