Grandpa was inside, performing a shamanic dance and chanting.
Kitahara Minakaze lay on the floor for a while before climbing back up, attempting to communicate with the System.
Many novels were written like that, anyway.
He figured he might as well give it a try.
The result… was useless, of course.
Inside the main hall, the chanting and the ringing of the kagura bells had unknowingly stopped.
Minakaze didn’t notice.
He continued trying to communicate with the System—which was really just him talking to himself.
He actually had quite a lot of inner monologue going on.
Until.
A sensation of pressure came from the top of his head.
Only then did Minakaze snap back to reality.
“Brother, why does it feel like I’m standing on my tiptoes trying to reach snacks on top of a display case when I lean on your head…?”
Natsume Mio sat behind Minakaze, her head tilted up.
Mimicking him, she crossed her arms and rested them on top of his head.
However, there was quite a height difference between her and Minakaze.
This made her posture look a bit awkward.
She practically had to half-squat just to reach his head.
“Why don’t you try standing up?” Minakaze suggested.
“No, then it would just feel like leaning on a desk.”
“Well, sorry my head is so wide.”
“It’s not actually that wide.”
Mio smiled somewhat sheepishly, revealing two shallow dimples.
Sitting bolt upright, Minakaze suddenly slouched forward a bit.
Mio was finally freed from her half-squatting posture and could rest on his head much more comfortably.
Adjusting her arms, she rested her chin on her stepbrother’s head.
She gazed at the scenery outside the veranda and murmured, “Ah, I’m truly saved.”
“…”
There were still quite a few people visiting the shrine to pray.
Minakaze sitting there was already eye-catching enough.
Now, with Mio sitting behind him in such a girlish manner and leaning on his head, it drew even more attention.
The visitors were actually quite surprised.
They had heard rumors about the Natsume family’s situation and knew a bit about their adopted son.
But they never expected the two stepsiblings to have such a good relationship.
“Is it over?”
Ignoring the gazes of the people around them, Minakaze asked.
“It’s over… By the way, Brother, if I may ask, do you really want to become a priest for my sake?”
“Yeah, though there are some other reasons too.”
Mio teased, “Then let me ask another presumptuous question. What made my stepbrother, whose first reaction to an incident was to play dead, change like this?”
“Probably because after spending these past few days together, I realized I actually like you quite a bit. After all, ordinary women will only affect the speed at which I draw my sword, but a sugar mama won’t. You give me money, so…”
Mio made a look of disgust.
“I don’t really get it, but it sounds super gross.”
“Sorry, that’s just the kind of person I am.”
“Brother, your tall and mighty image has collapsed.”
“Let it collapse. That’s what I think, anyway.”
Minakaze smiled.
“But honestly, I do like you quite a bit. Even though this feeling hasn’t been around for very long. Besides, I hate attending funerals, especially for people I know well.”
Minakaze’s smile slowly faded.
He looked into the distance, thinking of something, and said, “Though I say that, I’ve only ever attended one funeral. It was for my only relative. The feeling was suffocating. Standing in front of the altar, it even made me feel like, ‘It would have been better if I were the one who died.'”
Minakaze was actually recalling his past life, remembering the scene when the person who adopted him passed away.
Mio, however, thought he was talking about his mother.
Wrapping her arms around Minakaze’s head, she also recalled the funeral from that day.
That tall figure in a school uniform, standing silently in the distance.
Mio said softly, “I don’t like them either.”
Minakaze added, “Of course, aside from the reasons concerning you, I also have some reasons where I have no choice but to do this. Also, I don’t know if this is the right way to put it, but I think I desire… to become extraordinary.”
“…Brother.”
“Hm?”
“You saying that all of a sudden really ruins the mood.”
“…”
“Also, Brother, you’re so chuunibyou.”
Minakaze said bluntly, “Get up. Scram.”
“Eh…” Mio couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Watch your mouth.”
“My bad.”
Mio apologized, though without much sincerity.
Then.
The two fell silent for a moment.
“Actually, I’m not okay. I’m still really scared right now, Brother.”
Mio adjusted her sitting posture, letting go of his head.
Instead, she tilted her head up and rested it on his shoulder, murmuring, “Earlier when you asked if I was okay, I lied.
I’m not okay.
I thought I was dead for sure back then.
I blamed you at the time, and afterward, I was still terrified.
I’ve been constantly afraid that someone else would come knocking on our door.
So, the reason I stayed by your side all night yesterday wasn’t just because I was worried about you.
I felt like you would protect me.
Staying by your side gave me a sense of security…
It was the same before.
I just wanted to keep you by my side.
That way, I’d be safe.
It’s disgusting, isn’t it?
Putting on a show of caring about you when I actually had such selfish ulterior motives.”
“I don’t actually hate those kinds of ulterior motives. I’m about to become a priest now, so you really don’t need to feel so guilty.”
Mio murmured, “Yeah, I’m truly saved… I’ll be in your care from now on, Brother.”
“?” Minakaze suddenly felt that her mood was a bit off.
But before he could think too much about it.
Mio suddenly stood up.
“Let’s go inside, Brother. Grandpa is going to call for us soon.”
As she spoke, she pulled Minakaze to his feet.
The two re-entered the hall.
Their grandpa was standing directly in front of the sacred relic.
His cane was set aside, and he held a shallow bowl in both hands, filled with a scarlet liquid…
It looked like blood.
Seeing Minakaze enter.
The old man raised the shallow bowl.
“Drink this.”
“If I may ask, what is this?” Minakaze took the shallow bowl with both hands, looked at Grandpa, and asked.
“Mio’s blood. Words cannot deceive the gods, but bloodlines can. You weren’t chosen during the ‘Resurgence.’ If you want to become a Chosen, deceiving the gods is the only path left. Drink it. On a bloodline level, you will become Mio’s biological brother.”
“Are you backing out?”
“…No.”
Minakaze was just surprised.
Biological or not didn’t really matter to him; he wasn’t thirsty to that extent…
“Then drink it.”
Grandpa said softly.
“Understood.”
Minakaze glanced at the liquid in the shallow bowl, then at Grandpa, and finally at Mio.
Mio stood beside him, her head tilted up slightly as she looked at him.
Noticing Minakaze looking over.
She slowly lowered her head and averted her gaze.
Minakaze withdrew his gaze.
He raised the shallow bowl.
Under the watchful eyes of Grandpa, Mio, and the sacred relic.
He downed the liquid in the shallow bowl in one gulp.
…So salty.
That was his only thought.
And the very moment he drank the blood.
Ding.
[Emergency Quest: Please save Natsume Mio… Completed Quest Reward: ‘Extraordinary’]