Chapter 90 – Festival (5)

When consciousness returned, the first thing my senses mapped was Sirin’s sleeve lying beside my head.

So I really won.

Hehe…

“How do you manage to faint twice in one duel?”

“Hahaha! But wasn’t it magnificent? Perhaps not in technique, but certainly in other ways!”

Rubia’s calloused but gentle hand stroked my head.

Was I really that amazing?

“Geez… Is this funny to you? I was so worried!”

“But… b-but I won the duel… Can’t you praise me a little…?”

“…Fine. Yes, you did well. Very well. You looked cool… and most importantly, you weren’t badly hurt.”

Rubia’s voice held a note of resignation as she pinched my cheek.

“Indeed, you defeated me fair and square. Haha… I truly never expected it.”

Sirin extended her hand, still wearing that bright smile.

I hesitated before taking it—but didn’t want to leave her hanging, so I let her help me up.

“Do you remember that sensation from before?”

“Umm…”

The image is there in my mind… The sword and my body feeling as one—not wielding the sword but swinging my very existence.

No, my body? Not even that, something more fundamental… swinging my very being…? What am I even thinking?

“I-I don’t really understand…”

I can’t explain it. Like trying to shape smoke with my will.

A single moment of success… and not even through skill, just incredible luck…

“Good. Better not to understand. It’s a realm you shouldn’t reach yet. An ordinary human would have died instantly attempting that swing.”

“D-Die…? Me…? Why…?”

“How could swinging a sword kill someone?”

Hearing our confusion, Sirin smiled and turned away.

Then she swung her greatsword once, behind her.

Just one backward swing.

Her sleeve rose into the air.

Split in half. Again in half. And half again. And again. And again.

“Because it distorts the fundamental fabric of reality. Without proper qualification, it can kill you.”

At those words, the endlessly splitting sleeve dissolved into the air along with Rubia’s gasp.

“Distorting… reality? Noah did…?”

“Rubia, you seem to understand what this means.”

“…Yes.”

Reality? Qualification…?

“Ru-Rubia… what does that mean?”

“Noah, your sword ignored everything else and left only the ‘result’ of cutting the sleeve.”

“…Result?”

“Without trials, without earned qualification.”

Sirin’s smile turned bittersweet.

“You defied heaven’s order.”

She raised her hand.

“But that’s not how it should be.”

Snapped her fingers.

“You must become one with the sky itself.”

Reality inverted.

***

“So what shall we have for dinner?”

Rubia sighed, watching Sirin walk ahead with chicken skewers in one hand and tanghulu in the other.

“You left so quickly last time, but today you seem to have all the time in the world.”

Just before leaving that strange space, Sirin had said something about me lacking the qualifications to understand… so I never really heard the explanation.

While Rubia and I were still processing everything, Sirin had bounced right back to her usual self, darting about excitedly.

Time passed, and evening arrived.

“Indeed! I’m quite free today!”

Sirin puffed out her chest proudly while stuffing both skewers into her mouth at once.

What… what is she doing?

“I see… Well, do you have anything specific in mind? Noah, what would you like?”

“I want meat!”

“Um… Anything but seafood is fine…”

“Should we get takeout and eat at the inn? It’ll be quieter there. We can buy dessert to have right after too.”

“Oh! Could we get more sugar fruits?”

“What should I… We have lots of jelly already… Maybe candy… Can I think about it a bit…?”

“If you two would just put down your swords for once… sigh…”

Rubia looked between us and sighed.

“Alright… Let’s walk around and see what catches our eye.”

“Excellent!”

As Sirin walked ahead, Rubia extended her hand to me.

Remembering the cotton candy incident made me shiver as I carefully took her hand.

“Will sugar fruits be enough for you?”

“Mm… I’m not sure. I mean, we have lots of jelly… Between sugar fruits and regular candy…”

“Don’t want cotton candy?”

“C-Cotton c-candy is… um… we already had some…”

Her soft whisper sent shivers through my body again.

“But we already finished the sugar fruits and candy too.”

“That’s… that’s different… Cotton candy is… something you only eat once a day…”

“Then I’ll have it all to myself.”

I want cotton candy too. I barely got to taste it earlier with all that confusion…

But if Rubia feeds me again… my fingers will… ugh…

Oh! Wait! I could just steal bites of hers!

Wow, I’m so clever.

“I’ll just… have one bite of yours.”

“Didn’t you say once per day?”

“But… earlier… you had a bite too so… one bite isn’t enough.”

“Is that so?”

“O-Of course!”

Rubia gave me an enigmatic look before nodding with a smile.

“Alright. But we’ll eat the cotton candy right before bed.”

“Huh…? Why? It’s annoying to brush teeth right before sleeping…”

“Because we have something important to do in bed tonight. Something very important.”

Her grip on my hand tightened.

“In bed…? Something important…?”

“Yes. It’ll be good—for both of us. It’s my first time too, so I’m not sure exactly how it’ll go… but I know the feeling, so I think it’ll work out. At first, the sensation inside might be scary, but it’s okay. Just follow my lead.”

She licked her lips and gave me a wicked smile.

What are we doing that’s scary? What’s this about stirring inside…?

I was desperately curious. But some instinct warned me not to ask.

“What if… we spill cotton candy on the bed…?”

I asked something else instead.

“We’ll just eat carefully. Nice and clean.”

“Oh… um…”

“We have spare sheets anyway, so it’s fine.”

Why do we need spare sheets…? Can’t Rubia just clean them with divine power?

Maybe it still feels dirty even after divine cleaning?

Come to think of it, she always takes another shower even after cleaning with divine power…

“I-I see… okay.”

“Yes. Noah, just trust me and—”

“Hey! This looks perfect for dinner!”

“…Tch.”

“…Eh?”

Sirin’s shout cut off Rubia’s words.

But… did she just click her tongue in annoyance?

“Ah, cube steak. Not a bad choice. Is that okay with you, Noah?”

Maybe I imagined it…?

“Y-Yes… anything’s fine.”

“I’ve chosen my sauce and cooking style. What about you two?”

“I’ll take the standard sauce, medium. Noah?”

I’m curious about the different flavors. Should I just copy Rubia’s choice…?

“Um… Standard sauce and… well-done.”

“Hmm?”

Sirin’s cheerful expression suddenly turned serious as she crossed her arms.

“W-What’s wrong…?”

“Who orders steak well-done?”

“I… I don’t like seeing blood…”

I mean, I can’t see it anyway. But still… it’s gross.

Sirin tilted her head in confusion.

“Weren’t you supposed to be a blood-drinking demon?”

“Ugh… Th-that’s just a rumor…!”

Rubia tilted her head too. Why are you looking at me like that?

“A rumor…?”

“Not you too, Rubia…?”

“Pfft—just teasing.”

“Are you really teasing…?”

“Well… shall we order?”

“Wait! Rubia! You weren’t serious, right?!”

Rubia just flashed an infuriating smile and walked off to order, releasing my hand.

The moment she let go—

“Ugh…”

Splitting pain pierced my skull as strength drained from my body.

Rough ground pressed against me. My sensory map blurred and twisted. My limbs went numb as sounds grew muffled and distant.

Just as everything began to fade—

[Are you alright?]

Sirin’s voice echoed in my mind. Feeling returned to my limbs.

The pain gradually eased.

“Urk… agh…”

I tried to speak, but blood welled up instead of words.

“Noah!”

Rubia rushed back, pouring divine power into me. My breathing steadied and nausea subsided.

“Noah, are you okay? What is—”

“What the fuck… Who the hell are you?”

A woman’s angry voice cut Rubia off.

“Someone’s getting desperate,” Sirin said, her voice dangerously low.

“Dispelling without a chant… Who the fuck are you?”

“Rubia, take Noah back to the inn.”

“…What?”

“Hey bitch, are you fucking deaf? I asked who—”

[Be. Silent.]

CRACK—

“…Huh?”

Rubia’s horrified voice echoed through the suddenly quiet alley.

Quiet alley? That’s impossible. It was so noisy just moments ago.

I forced my blurry senses to focus, mapping the surroundings.

“W-What… is this…”

The festival-goers who had been laughing and celebrating— All lay collapsed on the ground.

Convulsing, bleeding from every opening.

And the woman who had been cursing— Crawling on the ground, jaw shattered.

“We were to have dinner together, but alas. Another time, perhaps.”

Despite her savage power, Sirin smiled gently.

“Take care of yourself, Noah. But enjoy the festival—it will continue without incident. I’ll ensure it.”

Overwhelming magic radiated from the crawling woman’s broken form.

Then—

[Stay. Still.]

Sirin’s voice shook reality.

CRUNCH—

The woman’s body twisted and folded impossibly. Organs burst from her mouth. Gore sprayed everywhere. Yet somehow, she lived.

“S-Sirin…?”

Rubia clutched me tight.

“Ah, quite unseemly of me. Don’t worry about the townsfolk—I’ll handle everything. You two should go.”

Sirin raised her arm.

“I’ll visit again soon.”

Snapped her fingers.

“If you wish to be my student, keep training until then. Never rely on ‘stats’ alone.”

Reality shifted.

“You must not depend solely on stats.”

In our quiet inn room.

Only Rubia’s trembling breaths broke the silence.