94: It's Calling Me...
... Of course, this restlessness refers to the mental state, not the physical state.
Even after giving birth to Quintuplets, Rena's figure is still amazing.
Even among so many beautiful girls around her, she was still the most eye-catching one.
Many men tried to approach her and chat her up.
But Shuya's eyes were incredibly fierce; anyone who tried to strike up a conversation would be smashed away with his Power of Will, successfully blocking many people.
The price he paid was that he overexerted himself and got a little tired.
Rena noticed the sweat on his forehead, so she led him to sit down to the side.
"Shu-chan, rest here for a while."
"OK."
Shuya answered instantly.
Because there were other people on the chair, Rena and Shuya remained sitting close together.
Shuya felt extremely good on the left side of his body, especially from his thigh to his calf, where it felt completely stuck together.
Shuya forced a smile to stay on his lips.
Rena didn't pay attention. She took out the handkerchief she always carried with her, turned her head and approached Shuya, and patted the handkerchief on his forehead.
You're sweating.
Rena calmly showed concern for Shuya.
Shuya's heart raced.
This is such an irresistible, sweet older sister charm!
Neither physical contact with Mai- chan nor the Quintuplets brought any excitement to this moment.
Shuya could feel it clearly; at that moment, a soft cotton candy was pressing against his shoulder.
Rena's long, smooth hair was blown by the wind, and the fragrant strands brushed against his cheeks, making him feel ticklish.
But the most exciting thing was undoubtedly that her perfect face was right in front of him.
Rena is only in her early twenties, the prime of her life.
Today, with a little makeup, she looks even more stunning.
Shuya was completely engrossed in watching, but unfortunately, after Rena wiped his sweat, she sat up straight.
Rena's every move exudes classical elegance, perhaps a result of her childhood training at a hot spring inn.
"..."
Suddenly, her gaze fell on something.
"?"
Shuya looked over and noticed that many men and women were wearing fox masks and holding fox-shaped candies.
"This... um?"
Shuya discovered that a nearby stall was selling these things.
The Shuya recognized him.
She was the daughter of that old woman who ran the cheap pastry shop...
Yes, it's that woman who so scorned the belief in Fox God.
At this moment, however, she smiled with unusual warmth and sincerity, boasting to tourists from out of town about the Small Island's ancient beliefs and legends, and vigorously promoting her products.
That's enough.
Where's your integrity? It's all gone.
Shuya thought to himself, but his expression grew increasingly serious.
He looked up and his eyes flashed with light as he saw wisps of Power of Will rise into the air and head towards the mountain Shrine.
Over at the Shrine, a subtle power was emanating from within.
Sure enough, as the festival progressed, it began to stimulate the belief in the Fox God.
"... sound."
Rena suddenly spoke.
Shuya: "What?"
Did you hear anything strange?
Rena's gaze was lost.
"A strange sound? I didn't hear it."
Shuya frowned.
"Yeah..."
"Rena murmured."
Shuya felt that at this moment, Rena seemed to be isolated from the world, radiating a strong and unusually mysterious aura.
At the same time, the aura that Shuya had been sensing on the island, similar to that of Rena, became even stronger.
A feeling of unease flashed through my mind.
Shuya had a gut feeling... something bad was going to happen today.
Damn it! Was there some hidden story behind Rena's father's words?!
What is it?!
Shuya began to get anxious.
The most effective way now is to prevent the Fox God from awakening.
But he alone could not possibly influence people's belief in the Fox God during the festival.
The strange atmosphere on the island gradually reached its peak at the climax of the festival, when the Bon Dance began.
The Power of Will surged forth like an explosion, continuously pouring into the Shrine.
Rena nor Shuya went to dance.
Rena was completely distracted, staring blankly ahead.
Shuya's expression grew increasingly grim. He tried to nudge Rena, but she only briefly snapped back to reality before drifting off into a daze again.
As the Bon Festival dance ends, the Power of Will gradually weakens, but much of it remains.
There has been no unusual activity at the Shrine; they are continuing to accumulate strength.
Shuya finally understood that the aura that had been permeating the island and resembled Rena's was actually the aura of the local Fox God.
The only question is... why is the Fox God's aura similar to Rena's?
What does this have to do with Rena frequently Spirit Abduction when she was a child?
Is all of this related to Rena's amnesia?
A myriad of thoughts and ideas flashed through Shuya's mind, ruining his enjoyment of his date with Rena.
... Perhaps only the tip of the iceberg will be revealed today.
Time is on,
---The moment when the local deities were fully revived.
Given that Rena's condition was not good, Shuya was no longer in the mood to enjoy the festival and simply took her back to the inn.
After leaving the festival venue, Rena's condition improved.
At least I'm not getting distracted anymore.
But he still didn't say much.
Shuya and she returned to the hotel in silence. After saying goodbye to Rena's father, Shuya went back to his room.
Rena's father showed no unusual expression, seemingly unaware of the inside story.
Shuya didn't believe that an ordinary person could know the secrets of the gods.
Back in the room.
Shuya sat cross-legged on the ground and did not go out again.
He remained silent for a while, then finally brought the First Snow.
A cool sensation washed over him, calming him down a bit.
Zheng---
He drew his sword.
Then I took a clean cotton cloth and wiped the blade again and again.
Extraordinary swords like the First Snow don't actually need cleaning; they can be cleaned simply by channeling air into them.
Unlike ordinary Japan swords, it is not delicate and requires oiling and maintenance, nor can it be touched by hand.
Shuya cleansed the First Snow, but it was simply a matter of calming the mind.
After realizing that something was wrong with Rena, his mind began to race.
This is very inappropriate.
Especially now, when it is very likely that the previous god is involved.
He wasn't sure what kind of past existed between the Fox God and Rena.
But let me put it this way.
If the Fox God is about to attack Rena.
Even if it's a god...
---I'll kill you too.
P. S. 1: Don't take the last words of the previous chapter too seriously. I was just being a chatterbox and venting. I often do this, and I'll continue next time I feel like it.
P. S. 2: The Rena sugar you requested has arrived.
P. S. 3: The Small Island arc will end in chapters 98 and 99. I know this because I've already finished writing it, and I'm quite satisfied with it. Besides, I don't think anyone will guess the plot.
Section 107, paragraph 94: He is calling me...
Shuya exaggerating.
Even if he's not strong enough in combat right now, he still has plenty of ways to take down a god who doesn't have much influence.
The premise is, at the very least, to ensure that Rena is safe and sound.
Otherwise, we'd be hesitant to act rashly.
But Shuya still felt that things might not have gone to such an extreme.
If the Fox God wanted to harm Rena, he would have had plenty of opportunities when she was younger.
There's no need to wait until today.
So he felt there was more to the story.
Thinking about this, although he felt that Rena's father was unaware of the situation, he should still go and ask him, otherwise it would be really stupid of him to find out.
Shuya didn't hesitate and went out of the room with his knife.
He hid it before to avoid trouble, but now is clearly not the time to worry about that.
Besides, if he's determined, he can always hide in time and not be seen.
Besides, it's late at night, and no scholar-officials would be wandering around the inn, so he wasn't afraid of running into anyone.