Chapter 47: Super-Emergency
by fnovelpia
Around 5 p.m.
By then, all lectures had concluded their written exams, and some students were checking their answers against the test papers, while others were already planning to go out and have fun.
Among them was a female student striding out of the dormitory building with an air of grandeur.
“I just hope the hero doesn’t scold me… Eh, it’ll work out somehow.”
The transcendent being known as the Balance of Order and Causality.
A goddess, no less, who had possessed the body of a student who, by chance, was already acquainted with the hero.
Known more as Pinkie or Pink-Hair than her real name, she was Maho Misamoto, a Japanese exchange student.
To trace the exact sequence of events: the goddess had observed the hero through intermediaries, realized she was an avatar of the Dragon God, and decided to hijack the body for this occasion.
Even a direct descent would’ve been fine, given the special bond between the hero and the goddess, but this was a surprise birthday party.
‘If I descended directly, he’d figure it out immediately.’
For someone as perceptive as the hero, whose connection to her was stronger than anyone else on Earth, the commotion of a divine descent would be impossible to miss.
He’d probably sense it even if she landed on the other side of the planet.
A full descent could wait for a time when she was bored and had divine power to spare.
‘So, please take care of things for a bit.’
Much like her hero, the goddess was a bit reckless but still adhered to propriety.
She bowed her head in her mind’s eye as a gesture of respect.
If this were just a friend’s avatar, she might’ve used it freely, but this body had its own master.
Not the Dragon God of the Reversed Earth, but the true owner: Maho Misamoto, Pinkie.
***
Through the goddess’s vision, Maho observed the campus outside, nodding with a cheerful smile.
‘This is like a super fun hidden camera prank, so keep going!’
As a carefree third party—an audience member craving popcorn—she was ready to enjoy the show.
Maho Misamoto.
A J-high school girl studying abroad at Seoul Academy.
Pinkie.
Natural pink hair.
A shaman with divine power, and so on.
She could be introduced in many ways, but back in Japan, people called her a divine maiden chosen by the gods.
Maho herself, however, found the title burdensome.
It wasn’t something she’d earned through her own efforts, and the weight of words like piety, purity, and sacrifice pressed heavily on her chest.
Deep in the mountains of central-western Japan, there was a branch of the Izumo Shrine, over a thousand years old.
That’s where she was born.
From the moment of her birth, strange signs appeared.
Her body was far colder than a normal infant’s, her breathing faint, her eyes cloudy.
Even doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause—some neurological lesion or immune system anomaly.
‘Oh, heavens.’
‘This poor thing…’
But the people of the shrine knew better than anyone what afflicted her.
No matter how you looked at it, these were the symptoms of divine illness.
A blessing and a curse from the gods—tormented by them, yet unable to survive without their salvation.
People pitied the child’s fate, assuming she would soon die.
Her chances of survival were practically nonexistent.
This was a fate harsher than any incurable disease.
Yet Maho’s parents poured their hearts and souls into caring for her, tending to her with unwavering devotion.
Surviving six months was already a miracle, but the truly astonishing moment came when her faint breath stopped.
When everyone said no one could save this child—
—Ah.
A god appeared.
A breeze blew through the window frame.
Not summer, not winter, but the spirit of an in-between season.
A sacred soul visited the shrine.
A dragon with crimson eyes came to the dying child and rekindled her fading spark.
It wasn’t out of mere pity.
‘This frail child… Your delicate body resonates with my mighty soul. What a wondrous and mystical thing.’
The dragon gently caressed the small, fragile child, a benevolent smile on its face.
‘In exchange for seeing the mortal world through your eyes, I will pay half your life and half your soul.’
That was the contract proposed by the Dragon God.
A deal that could be fulfilled if accepted, an act of a transcendent being.
But a newborn couldn’t possibly respond, and as the Dragon God sighed and prepared to leave—
“Please save her.”
It was Maho’s mother, instinctively reaching out to grasp the hem of the god’s robe.
“Please, save her!”
Weakened from childbirth, her soul strengthened and slightly closer to the divine, the mother faced the Dragon God.
Her first emotion wasn’t awe or reverence—it was desperate love.
A mother’s single plea and earnest heart carried a weight greater than a thousand years of shrine tradition, perhaps even greater than the god’s own majesty.
The god, accepting a slight loss, agreed to the deal with this intermediary.
And so, Maho lived.
But she could not live as an ordinary human.
With every heartbeat, a faint trace of the god’s presence coursed through her body.
The sacred yet ferocious energy of the dragon.
Whenever the god looked upon the mortal world, that energy touched her body through her soul and meridians, and the god’s voice reached her mind.
As her body grew and she aged, she became increasingly accustomed to these dual personas.
No, she became a being that coexisted with them.
‘I want some cola.’
It felt less like serving a great Dragon God and more like gaining a friendly older sister next door.
Living alongside the Dragon God, Maho realized something astonishing.
These gods, though great, were far from perfect!
‘You drank some yesterday.’
Even her inner grumbling went unnoticed, and they weren’t omnipotent like all-knowing deities.
Their overwhelming power came with numerous restrictions.
When she received gold bracelets or necklaces, their excited reactions were so human, and they generally felt like an older sister.
While the Dragon God might show grandeur to others, to Maho, the divine maiden, there was no pretense.
“Oh, I’m so excited! How shocked will he be when he sees me?”
So, even when a new god temporarily borrowed her body, Maho wasn’t particularly fazed.
It had been agreed upon beforehand, and from what she’d heard, the situation sounded intriguing.
‘Ugh, I need popcorn.’
Like the possessing goddess, she looked forward to how things would unfold.
While quietly observing, Maho suddenly noticed something unusual.
The divine power of the Dragon God, already flowing through her body, had been amplified by the goddess’s soul possession, greatly stimulating her spiritual abilities.
Specifically, the Dragon God’s powers.
Due to the manifestation of her draconic heritage, two horns sprouted from her pink hair.
Large and prominent.
“…Huh?”
“What’s that? Did a spirit manifest?”
The goddess’s majestic stride and the horned visual stood out even at an academy full of unique individuals.
Before even reaching the meeting point, she was drawing attention.
Since this was happening with her own body, Maho, in her mind’s eye, tilted her head and smiled nonchalantly.
‘Well, might as well get a little famous.’
Having nearly died from divine illness at birth, she’d become an ultra-optimist.
Besides, knowing the situation, she was more curious about the exciting scene about to unfold.
The birthday boy of the day.
Would Shin Yuseong realize that her body’s soul had been swapped with a goddess?
Or would he assume it was just her and call the goddess Pinkie?
It might be irreverent, but it was oddly thrilling.
‘This’ll be fun.’
At this point, Maho was still just watching for entertainment.
***
The Guardian Lion of the Jeilyeongrak Church, Imir, was the first to arrive at the temporarily borrowed clubroom.
The room was spacious enough for five or six people, but the group was particularly illustrious, with recent dungeon conquests to their name.
Dressed in a male student’s outfit—or rather, a gender-neutral jacket and pants—she surveyed the room with a serious expression.
Colorful balloons and a [Happy Birthday] card adorned the space.
“Not bad.”
If the church had mobilized its resources, they could’ve decorated it as lavishly as a Blue House banquet, but that would’ve been too overwhelming.
The cozy, student-prepared vibe would foster a sense of camaraderie.
Thus, Imir and Sephine Alabard had coordinated in advance, blowing up balloons and preparing cards to decorate the clubroom.
Once Maho Misamoto and Shin Yuseong arrived, the weekend dungeon party members could enjoy a small birthday celebration.
‘All this for a birthday party.’
It had been an eventful few days.
Mentally applauding herself and her intelligence team for their efforts, Imir smiled brightly as Sephine entered the room.
“Hey, you’re here?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Sephine glanced around the decorated clubroom, checking for Yuseong’s presence, then let out a soft breath.
Only after hiding her gift box in a corner did she smile and speak.
“You got the cake and sparklers ready, right?”
“Yup, I’ll slip out later to grab them.”
“Phew, I hope Yuseong likes it.”
Sephine’s expression carried more tension than one would expect for a simple friend’s birthday.
Imir, who had also prepared for today with similar nerves, felt a mix of empathy and difference, sighing.
…Well, she’s at least enjoying her youthful crush, while I’m just stuck with extra work.
‘This might actually be worse.’
Smacking her lips, Imir tried to think positively.
At least being dressed as the same gender as the birthday boy made cooperation easier.
If she were female, there might’ve been some odd tension.
With two women, it might be fine, but three could create a competitive dynamic.
‘Not that I have any romantic feelings.’
As a professional, Imir had no interest in romance—she just desperately hoped to earn the favor of this mysterious monster (Hero).
To do that, she couldn’t just wait around calmly like the woman before her.
Standing in a corner, she returned to her serious demeanor and touched her earpiece.
“Unit, where is the hero now?”
‘Heading to the target location. Estimated arrival in five minutes.’
“And Maho?”
‘She’ll arrive in about three minutes. But something seems a bit off.’
“What? Does she look sick?”
‘No… Uh, it seems she’s wearing a headband or something for the birthday event.’
“Really? Hmm, all of us wearing headbands wouldn’t have been a bad idea.”
Just before the plan’s execution, Imir received the final report and breathed a sigh of relief, confirming no major issues.
But as she moved to rejoin Sephine, a crackling urgent report came through.
‘Uh, the top-priority target has made contact with another factor while moving.’
“Who? A professor? A student?”
‘A student… They seem close.’
“…In what sense?”
‘Well, the girl seems to like the guy.’
Emergency.
A critical alert.
Four girls and one handsome guy in the same space could spell trouble.
And handling it was no easy task.
Imir closed her eyes tightly and prayed.
Please, let this birthday party end smoothly without any romantic drama.
***
Seol Yeonhwa, having finished all her exams, ran into Shin Yuseong while walking down the hallway.
She’d actually been on her way to find him.
So, the moment she saw him, she blurted out,
“Wanna grab dinner together?”
Shin Yuseong paused to think.
He had a brief commitment, but Imir and Sephine had said it would be quick, and the goddess, busy with her own matters, hadn’t said much today.
In that case, it made sense to have dinner with the friend who’d asked first.
“Sure, sounds good.”
Since their tastes in food were similar, Shin Yuseong happily agreed to join her.
It might also be a good chance to introduce her to the other academy friends.
If their personalities clicked, she could even join the weekend dungeon party.
While the original goal of crafting elixirs was complete, the weekend dungeon runs continued for pocket money and bonding.
After all, getting along with friends was always nice.
With that in mind, Shin Yuseong headed to the clubroom—the meeting point—with Seol Yeonhwa.
And so, the six of them would soon meet.
To be continued…
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