Deeply Lingering Scars (2)
I think it must have been that night.
Lying alone in my room, unable to fall asleep, I kept blinking into the darkness… remembering what I had seen beneath the pond, at that boundary.
Was that really why we had to part ways? Did we truly have to be separated?
Because of the prophecy left behind by the God of Lies, I tossed and turned for a long while, unable to sleep.
Thanks to the erosion treatment, Shinryong and I couldn’t even share a bed anymore. We slept in separate rooms, and the aching loneliness alone was enough to keep me awake. On top of that, the ceaseless echoes from the Abyss refused to let me rest.
Fortunately, my true nature was that of a spirit. Unlike humans, three hours of sleep a day was more than enough for me to function. But after Shinryong took me as her subordinate and reconstructed my body to be more human-like, the dark circles that stretched all the way down my face were unavoidable.
Still, I had to sleep. If I wanted to greet tomorrow’s bright sun with joy, I needed to fall asleep. There was no tomorrow that began without sleep.
So I tried to set aside the painful yesterday and drift off, hoping to welcome a brilliant new day. But…
“····Ugh…”
Those three terrible things that kept disturbing my rest refused to let me sleep. All three had clamped shackles around my wrists and ankles, trapping me inside the prison of yesterday.
I was so exhausted I wanted to pass out right then and there. I desperately wanted to clear the mess in my head and feel refreshed. Yet those damnable three things wouldn’t let me go.
So I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly opened them again. I raised my right hand and held it in front of my face.
“····.”
The pitch-black darkness still clung to my arm like a scar. The twisted wounds were stained with the violet hue of the Abyss, still carrying the malice that connected me to that world.
Thanks to Shinryong’s tireless and devoted care, the pain and torment had faded. But the echoes still ringing inside my skull refused to disappear.
All of you belongs to me.
Stop resisting. Accept everything.
The echoes kept repeating. But I didn’t waver in the slightest. I had no reason to be shaken.
After all, beneath that pond, I had glimpsed the clue to the truth. And that clue… was everything about the Abyss.
I simply stared at the wound with pitying eyes and thought, It really must be agonizing… before lowering my arm and closing my eyes again.
Yet the torment of being unable to sleep persisted. In the end, I couldn’t endure those three things any longer. I bolted upright.
“····Haa.”
Letting out a short sigh, I quietly slipped out of the room to get some fresh air.
I staggered across the yard and approached the pond. That was when I heard it.
“———It seems you couldn’t sleep either, Niyu.”
I had no idea how long she had been there. Shinryong was sitting cross-legged on a suitably sized rock beside the pond, deep in meditation. The moment I heard her voice, my exhaustion-addled mind mistook her for a hallucination. But I quickly realized it really was her and smiled as I walked over.
Seeing that I still hadn’t fallen asleep, Shinryong seemed pleased. Her thick tail began to sway gently, then more vigorously, as she looked at me.
“It looks like you couldn’t sleep either, Shinryong.”
I approached her carefully and offered my forehead. She lightly pressed her own against mine. Our eyes met for a moment.
“There are simply… far too many things to think about.”
Then her tail began to gently stroke my right arm. I flinched in surprise, but soon relaxed and leaned against the rock beside her, surrendering myself to the softness of her tail.
Shinryong slowly ran her hand through my hair and spoke in a low voice.
“It will heal soon, Niyu.”
She was trying to reassure me about the biggest reason I couldn’t sleep tonight.
“The divine power I used has fully recovered since yesterday, and I have nearly finished analyzing your wounds… With luck, it may even be treatable tomorrow.”
I smiled happily and tilted my head this way and that, following the movement of her hand. Perhaps finding my behavior adorable, Shinryong slowly slipped her tail beneath my shrine maiden robes.
I jumped in surprise and met her eyes. Realizing what she had done, she quickly withdrew her tail and wrapped it around her own waist, speaking awkwardly.
“…Lately… the loneliness has become almost unbearable…”
I understood her feelings a hundredfold—no, a thousandfold. Ever since we started sleeping in separate rooms, the tissues in my room had begun to pile up… And from Shinryong’s room not far away, I could occasionally hear muffled, suppressed moans.
If I were honest, that was more painful to me than the echoes of the Abyss.
The desire to hold Shinryong grew so strong that during the day, even the slightest brush against her made me want to pin her down and ravish her like a madman. Yet I endured it, handling my urges alone deep in the night. Even when I opened my eyes and looked at her, I wanted to make those beautiful ruby eyes glaze over with pleasure. But I held back.
Because of the lingering traces of erosion, I couldn’t risk causing any major problems.
“If it doesn’t heal tomorrow, should I buy some toys?”
At some point, I had begun searching for ways to soothe this endless loneliness.
“What manner of toys do you speak of?”
“Aww, don’t pretend you don’t know~”
Of course, Shinryong didn’t immediately understand. She tilted her head in confusion for a moment.
“Ah——”
When realization finally dawned, her face flushed bright red. Her tail flailed wildly.
“E-even without such toys… I can manage just fine…”
Despite her words, her tail was thrashing about as if utterly fascinated by this unexplored territory.
“Then I’ll just buy some anyway. Since the topic came up, it might be fun to try them once~”
“Eek…”
When I decided to take matters into my own hands, it seemed Shinryong had no real desire to refuse. Though she reacted with embarrassment, she ultimately stayed silent in quiet acceptance.
Watching her adorable reaction, I wanted nothing more than to throw her down right then and there for a fierce outdoor session filled with creampies. But once again, the Abyss forced me to restrain myself.
For a fleeting moment, I glared into the depths of the pond.
If it weren’t for that damn thing, Shinryong would already be carrying my cute triplets right now…
Once again burning with hatred for the Abyss, I spent the night bathed in gentle moonlight alongside Shinryong.
At some point, pure white firefly-like lights began to drift toward us.
“····Hm?”
Feeling deeply curious, I wondered if white fireflies lived around here and lifted my head to look around. The white particles quickly filled the space around us, soon enveloping everything.
Sensing something strange, I scooted closer to Shinryong. She had been calmly meditating with her eyes closed, her tail moving serenely, when she finally spoke.
“You have returned.”
She was addressing a pure white figure slowly emerging from the shadows.
Until Shinryong spoke, I hadn’t noticed her at all. But the moment I felt her presence behind me, I whipped my head around in shock, my face tense with alarm.
“You really went and did something quite drastic, you little lizard.”
The woman in white—clearly displeased, her brow furrowed—wore a pure white shrine maiden outfit and held a ceremonial fan in her hand. White cat ears twitched atop her head, and behind her hips swayed a cat tail much like Shinryong’s.
Ah. So this was the White Shaman I had heard about a few times before.
“It was not my doing, so I would appreciate it if you did not lay the blame on me.”
The White Shaman had appeared so suddenly. Shinryong continued her meditation as she replied.
I stood awkwardly between them, glancing back and forth at their expressions. The White Shaman kept her gaze fixed on Shinryong, but soon reached out to stroke my hair as she continued.
“Because of what you did, strange rumors are spreading through the city. They say a white night appeared without warning, or that a new sun has risen…”
She must have been exhausted from dealing with the fallout. She pressed her fingers firmly against her brow.
“And that fox woman has been whining nonstop about it. I’m already irritated to death, and now you’re making me even more tired…”
Whether Shinryong was listening or not, she simply hummed softly and swished her tail.
The White Shaman watched her for a moment, then gently pinched my cheek and spoke in a low voice.
“You did well, little lizard.”
At that, Shinryong’s gently swaying tail suddenly stopped.
“Even though we were all absent, you handled it splendidly.”
Then, as if sensing something, the White Shaman slowly ran her hand along my right arm.
“····This is.”
She rolled up my sleeve, revealing the traces of erosion.
That was the moment.
“Do not touch it.”
Shinryong suddenly swung her tail with a sharp thwack, knocking the White Shaman’s hand away. At some point she had risen to her feet and now stood looking down at both of us.
“…I only reached out because it looked painful. What a rude little lizard you are.”
The White Shaman’s eyes narrowed like a wildcat. She withdrew both hands from me and glared at Shinryong.
Shinryong stood her ground, staring right back without yielding.
“Sigh… Fine, fine. I understand. She is your subordinate, yes?”
In the end, the White Shaman conceded. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again and stepped back.
“Even if she rots and falls apart, if she is your subordinate, then protect her to the very end, Shinryong.”
Shinryong seemed angry. Her tail shot straight up into the air.
“And do not lose control and explode like this again.”
With those final words, the White Shaman scattered her divine power in all directions, preparing to leave.
“I only came today to speak of this matter. There is still much to organize regarding that incident, so I must be on my way.”
The pure white light fragments that had gathered around her began to swirl, enveloping her body. I watched the unfamiliar divine power with fascination. In the next instant, the White Shaman vanished as if she had never been there.
“Both of you, take care of yourselves.”
Shinryong stared intently at the spot where the White Shaman had disappeared after leaving those words. Her tail remained raised high, as if her anger had not yet subsided.
I stayed crouched on the ground behind her, slowly pulling down the rolled-up sleeve of my right arm.
“····.”
Fortunately, Shinryong soon turned to look at me. Her tail drooped heavily as she spoke.
“She truly is a peculiar person, is she not, Niyu?”
Hearing the playful tone in her voice, I let out a small laugh and stood up.
“She really is… She seemed like such a mysterious person.”
This was my first time meeting her in person, so I wanted to talk about her. But it seemed Shinryong had no desire to discuss the White Shaman. She changed the subject by straightening my clothes and brushing the dirt from my bottom where I had been sitting.
“The night has grown quite late. Let us truly go to sleep now.”
I didn’t press her any further. It seemed like Shinryong was hiding something from me, but I didn’t particularly want to ask. In truth, I already knew what it was.
Even if the White Shaman noticed, it wouldn’t change anything compared to now. That was why I had deliberately kept it to myself.
From that day until now, I had pushed aside everything I knew and every shock I had felt.
After all, Shinryong didn’t want it. In the end… whether that secret was revealed or kept hidden was entirely up to her.
No matter how many problems arose, I was Shinryong’s subordinate, and she was my master and goddess.
So even if I couldn’t protect my own body, I could at least protect this much for her.
Yes… I would definitely protect my precious Shinryong.
No matter what happened. No matter what…
“Now I finally understand how the Fox Deity feels…”
Of course, I didn’t understand the solitary murmur that followed from Shinryong. What exactly had the Fox Deity said?