— — — — — — —
"If I become your shrine priestess, can you really solve the problem of the Shikon Jewel?" Kikyo's words carried a weight that shattered her own convictions.
A god that could not help its people was useless.
That was what she had come to believe.
Lynn smiled.
The moment she spoke, he knew he had won.
He picked up the Shikon Jewel again, deliberately drawing Kikyo's gaze.
The fact that it remained untainted was one of the reasons she was even willing to trust him.
"Whether it can be solved or not—you'll witness it for yourself."
Kikyo hesitated for a moment at Lynn's words.
Then, she watched as an eerie glow surrounded his hand as he reached... insidethe Shikon Jewel?
The power of [Spirit Devil] allowed Lynn to sense the abnormalities within the jewel the moment he touched it.
Inside—there were human souls... and an enormous number of vengeful yokai spirits.
For him, this was the perfect situation for his ability.
Lynn's expression shifted slightly before he tightened his grip and pulled.
A moment later, a spherical mass was extracted from the Shikon Jewel.
Kagome blinked in confusion before glancing down at it with a complicated expression.
Kikyo's gaze also turned strange.
Lynn paused briefly before giving a sharp pull.
"Nngh...!"
A pained voice echoed from the Shikon Jewel.
And with his motion, a woman in shrine maiden robes suddenly materialized inside the thatched hut.
"Eh?"
Blinking in surprise, Midoriko found herself staring at her surroundings in confusion.
"L-Lady Midoriko?!"
Kikyo nearly jumped in shock.
She had just met her idol—alive!
Kikyo's voice seemed to pull Midoriko back to her senses.
Taking in her surroundings, she then looked down, flashing a gentle smile at Lynn as she asked politely,
"My lord, while I'm grateful that you freed me from the Shikon Jewel..."
Her eyes flickered to his hand, which was still resting on her chest.
"...Could you possibly... let go first?"
Lynn shrugged. "Sorry, this was just the easiest way to pull you."
Midoriko pressed her lips together in silence before shifting her attention to the Shikon Jewel. Her voice turned solemn.
"Now that I'm out... the jewel is unstable."
As soon as she said that, the Shikon Jewel began trembling violently, releasing a sinister energy.
Sighing softly, Midoriko seemed to resign herself to her fate.
"It seems... I must return and continue my eternal struggle against the yokai inside."
Just as she moved to step back into the jewel, Lynn casually reached out and grabbed her head.
"Now that I've saved you, you're mine."
Midoriko stiffened.
Before she could say anything, Lynn's hand plunged back into the jewel.
This time, he pulled out a grotesque, writhing mass of yokai consciousness.
"Wait!" Midoriko gasped, alarmed. "If you release them, the entire world will be in danger!"
"The world?" Lynn let out a chuckle. "You're giving them too much credit. At most, they'd cause some chaos in Japan."
"Isn't that dangerous enough?!" Kagome shuddered.
Even Kikyo tensed.
The aura coming from that thing—it was strong.
"L-Lady Midoriko has been fighting against thisall this time?"
If it were her, she wouldn't have lasted a second!
"Hahahaha!! Midoriko!!" the yokai consciousness howled, its voice a chaotic mixture of different entities. "Are you finally afraid?! Have you given in?!"
"HAHAHA!!"
"More fights!!"
"Fight!!"
The overlapping voices filled the hut, nearly bursting their eardrums.
Lynn's eyes glowed with interest.
A perfect meal.
"Spirit Devour."
Squelch.
The mass of yokai instantly began twisting in agony.
The [Spirit Devil] ability was a natural counter to spiritual entities like this.
"Wait!" The yokai shrieked, panic setting in. "W-What are you doing?! What are you—?!"
Lynn ignored their protests.
He simply crushed, compressed, and—
"S-Spare us—!"
Their voices cut off abruptly.
Plop.
A deep purple orb, almost identical to the Shikon Jewel, landed on the table.
Lynn casually picked it up, flicked it into his mouth, and bit down.
Crunch.
It was crispy.
...Like fried chicken.
Midoriko's jaw dropped in horror.
There were powerful yokai spirits within that thing—some of them were even great demons!
And he just... ate them?
Kikyo stared at the now-dulled, ordinary-looking Shikon Jewel in silence.
Lynn's method of "solving" the issue was... simple and crude.
But it also proved just how ridiculously strong he was.
For Kikyo—and even her idol Midoriko—the existence they had spent their lives battling against had been something they could barely seal away at best.
Yet before Lynn, they had been completely powerless.
To become the shrine priestess of someone like that...
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all?
Midoriko's expression shifted several times.
She knew more than Kikyo did.
She understood that, to certain beings, even great yokai were nothing more than insignificant pests.
But still...
That was seven or eight great yokai consciousnesses fused together!
And countless other yokai mixed in!
That level of power should have been terrifying!
Yet Lynn had swallowed them down like a snack.
Midoriko looked at Lynn with a complex expression.
Just who was he, really?
After absorbing the yokai consciousness, Lynn's brow twitched slightly. As expected of the Shikon Jewel, something coveted by countless yokai, even great ones.
Just devouring one fused consciousness had already pushed his already maxed-out stats forward a little.
What a boost!
"Alright, now that that's taken care of..."
Having enjoyed his "experience pill," Lynn glanced at the two shrine maidens and the shrine maiden-in-training, smiling. "It's time to talk business."
Kikyo didn't hesitate. Her cold yet resolute eyes locked onto Lynn's as she spoke firmly, "I pledge my service to you, Lord Lynn."
To her, Lynn, who had just resolved the crisis of the Shikon Jewel, was no different from a god.
Not to mention, she had already made her decision before. Kikyo was not one to go back on her word.
Lynn grinned and clapped his hands. "Kikyo, as expected, you're a woman of your word."
Then, he turned his gaze toward Kagome.
Kagome hesitantly raised her hand. "I-I'll join too."
Finally, all three of them turned to Midoriko.
Midoriko: "???"
"Would you like to become my shrine maiden?" Lynn asked, extending an invitation.
"Huh?" Midoriko's face turned crimson. She clearly understood what Lynn was implying.
To serve him…?
After some thought, she shyly replied, "O-Okay..."
That easily?!
Kagome looked at Midoriko with surprise.
But Midoriko had her reasons.
First of all, she was already dead.
What was standing here was merely her soul.
Secondly, it was Lynn who had freed her from the eternal agony of struggling inside the Shikon Jewel.
She was incredibly grateful to him.
Not to mention, he had also resolved the Shikon Jewel's issue entirely.
Offering her useless soul to him was the only form of repayment she could give.
Seeing her agreement, Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
Three new Familia members secured.
And high-quality ones at that…
Aside from Kagome, Kikyo and Midoriko were both powerful shrine maidens.
Especially Midoriko—just by relying on her soul's strength, she had managed to maintain a bizarre balance against that monstrous yokai consciousness within the Shikon Jewel.
Lynn couldn't wait to see what abilities he would unlock from them.
"Well then, time to undress!"
"Huh?!"
Kagome was completely dumbfounded. "Undress?!"
Kikyo also fell silent.
Midoriko opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated. Then, with a confused expression, she mumbled, "Can… souls even undress?"
As she was thinking about it, her clothes suddenly vanished with a soft "whoosh," leaving her bare.
Midoriko quickly hugged herself, trying to cover the important parts. Her face was so red it looked like steam might start coming out of her head.
Kagome watched Midoriko with a complex expression. "As expected of... a mature woman..."
Midoriko had stripped so fast it had left her stunned.
So bold!
Even Kikyo, usually composed, looked at Midoriko in disbelief.
The image of her idol suddenly was crushed in her mind.
Midoriko-sama...
Was she always this... open?
Panicking, Midoriko put her clothes back on.
She then stared at the floor, face burning in embarrassment.
The small hut suddenly fell into silence.
In the end, it was Kikyo who broke it.
Her eyes flickered with realization, and she spoke with certainty. "I understand now."
"It's a purification ritual..."
Hearing Kikyo's words, Kagome also had a moment of enlightenment.
There was indeed such a record in shrine maiden teachings.
And since her family ran a shrine, she was somewhat familiar with it.
A purification ritual was meant to cleanse the body and soul in preparation for the descent of a god.
Lynn's request… actually made sense…
Kagome nodded with conviction. "That's right! A purification ritual!"
Lynn fell silent.
Was that really what he meant?
With the excuse of a purification ritual in place, Kikyo, Kagome, and Midoriko all visibly relaxed.
Kikyo spoke up. "Not far from the shrine, there's a natural hot spring."
"We can perform the purification ritual there."
"Oh!" Kagome's eyes sparkled. "A hot spring!"
Midoriko also found herself yearning for the experience. Though, she wasn't sure if a soul could actually feel the warmth of the water.
Immediately, three pairs of expectant eyes turned toward Lynn.
Seeing their anticipation, Lynn nodded. "Alright, let's go soak in the hot spring."
As for whether it was truly a purification ritual…
Seeing their enthusiasm, he wasn't about to say anything to ruin the mood.
Speaking of which…
As their "god"...
It was only natural that he would oversee the purification ritual, right?
It had been a while since Lynn had enjoyed a hot spring himself. This was a great opportunity to chill.
.
.
.