— — — — — — —
At the shrine, in the back mountain
Kagome looked around eagerly. "Where is it? Where's the hot spring?"
Kikyo smiled slightly and waved her hand.
A barrier shimmered into existence.
A faint blue glow flickered, and as Kikyo stepped forward, her figure disappeared as if passing through a bubble.
Kagome's eyes widened. "Whoa! That's amazing!"
Midoriko floated around, resting her chin on her hand as she observed. "A very advanced barrier. Even I wouldn't have noticed it."
Hearing this, Kikyo stepped out of the barrier again. "You flatter me, Lady Midoriko."
The two then delved into a discussion about barriers, exchanging knowledge enthusiastically. Kagome, on the other hand, was starting to doze off from all the technical talk.
"Alright, you two will have plenty of time to discuss this later," Lynn said, wrapping an arm around Kikyo and Midoriko before pulling them both into the barrier with him.
"Huh? Lord Lynn is coming in too?!" Kagome's face turned bright red, looking embarrassed.
Lynn, unfazed, stated matter-of-factly, "Isn't the purification ritual meant to welcome the descent of a god?"
"If I don't go in, what's the point?"
"Ugh…" Kagome had no way to argue against that logic.
Upon stepping inside the barrier, Lynn's view expanded, revealing a spacious hot spring surrounded by mist.
"Not bad at all," Lynn mused, slightly impressed.
Then, with a commanding wave of his hand, he declared, "Alright, you may begin the purification ritual!"
A little while later…
Lynn leaned back in the hot spring, leisurely observing the women's actions.
Kikyo and the others instantly froze in place.
"What's wrong? Isn't serving a god part of a shrine maiden's duty?" Lynn questioned with a smirk.
Kikyo bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly, but eventually, she resolutely removed her shrine maiden attire, her face flushing red.
Seeing her junior acting so decisively, Midoriko didn't want to be left behind either.
Being a soul had its advantages.
With just a thought, her clothing vanished into nothingness. Midoriko hugged herself tightly before quickly slipping into the hot spring, exhaling in disappointment.
"As expected… I don't feel anything," she murmured. "Well, I am just a soul…"
Lynn pondered for a moment before beckoning her over with a gesture.
Midoriko's face turned even redder, mistaking his intent. She thought Lynn was going to do something to her.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself.
From the moment she decided to become Lynn's shrine maiden, she had already prepared for this.
This was her way of repaying him!
With her resolve firm, Midoriko wobbled forward hesitantly.
Still feeling shy…
Lynn observed her nervous demeanor and thought to himself, "I should've brought Yuuko along. She would definitely help them loosen up…"
Finally, Midoriko reached Lynn and, avoiding eye contact, stood there stiffly.
Lynn patted her thigh and said, "Turn around."
"H-Huh?!"
"Y-You want it… from behind?"
Midoriko trembled slightly, lowering her head as she slowly turned around. Then, as if understanding his intentions, she adjusted her posture slightly to make things easier for him.
However…
When the Devil's Piece pressed against her back, a flash of surprise crossed Midoriko's eyes.
That's it?
Before she could let her thoughts run wild, a strange power surged into her body.
"Ah…!"
Midoriko's eyes widened.
She felt…
As if her soul was gaining a sense of physicality.
At the same time, a system notification echoed in Lynn's mind.
[Ding! You have acquired Familia member 'Midoriko.']
[Ding! Your Familia member 'Midoriko' has reincarnated as a Special-Type Devil.]
On Midoriko's back, glowing script appeared, displaying her new status.
---
[Midoriko]
→Rank: Ultimate-Class Devil
→Position: Bishop
→Race: Devil
→Master: Lynn Valifer
→Stats:
•Strength: I0
•Agility: I0
•Endurance: I0
•Magic: I0
→Position Skill: Magic Resistance (Enhances resistance against magical attacks.)
→Unique Skills: [Soul-Devouring Battle Priestess] & [Four-Soul Devil]
—[Soul-Devouring Battle Priestess]—
•Weapon Manifestation: Can manipulate souls to rapidly form weapons.
—[Four-Soul Devil]—
•Aramitama: Symbolizes courage, conflict, and power.
•Nigimitama: Symbolizes harmony, mediation, and compassion.
•Sakimitama: Symbolizes wisdom, logic, and creativity.
•Kushimitama: Symbolizes happiness, love, and vitality.
•All base stats receive a significant boost.
•Devil Transformation (Four-Soul Mode).
— — —
Lynn's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing her status.
"An Ultimate-Class Devil?!"
Midoriko's starting rank was this high?
However, considering how she had fought against that powerful collective yokai consciousness within the Shikon Jewel for so long, it made sense.
Then there was the concept of positions.
It seemed the Devil's Pieces had undergone some changes.
Lynn stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, if someone reincarnates as an Ultimate-Class Devil, they automatically gain a position?"
And not just that—a unique skill as well.
Magic Resistance wasn't much, but it was still something.
Then there was Soul-Devouring Battle Priestess, clearly linked to Midoriko's ability to manipulate souls.
And as for 'Four-Soul Devil'…
As he read the description, Lynn's heart pounded.
"Four-Soul Devil…"
He murmured the title, feeling a strange sense of excitement.
The description of [Four-Soul Devil] was vague, barely giving any concrete details about its actual effects.
The more mysterious a skill like this was, the more potential it likely had hidden within it.
Lynn focused his mind and decided to test out the power of [Aramitama].
Boom!
A sudden surge of power exploded within him!
It felt as if something inside him had erupted like a detonated core!
The sheer force was overwhelming, almost giving him the illusion that he could crush mountains with a mere thought.
Lynn exhaled deeply and temporarily deactivated [Aramitama].
"So, [Aramitama] is a strength amplifier…"
But that couldn't be all.
The nature of battle, the essence of struggle—it felt like it was enhancing his combat instincts as well.
Next, he activated [Nigimitama].
Closing his eyes, he carefully examined its effects.
So far, he didn't feel anything particularly related to affinity or compassion.
But… balance?
Curious, Lynn decided to test something. He called upon his [Fallen Angel Devil] abilities, bringing forth both his light and dark energy.
And then—For the first time, the two opposing forces began merging together.
Although the process was slow and unstable, it was happening.
Lynn stopped and pondered for a moment.
If [Nigimitama] could harmonize different powers, then this ability might be extremely valuable in the future.
Moving on, he activated [Sakimitama].
The moment it activated, his mind became incredibly clear.
Wisdom—his thoughts flowed like never before!
Instantly, he realized how to use previously useless skills in ways he never considered before.
After a brief test, Lynn deactivated [Sakimitama].
That hyper-intelligent state vanished, leaving him with a sense of loss.
For a moment, he felt… dumber.
Shaking off the strange sensation, Lynn proceeded to test [Kushimitama].
This time, he felt a massive increase in his life force, but nothing else seemed to change.
"Huh…?"
Just as he was contemplating the effects, Kagome finally mustered the courage to step into the hot spring.
Trying to be sneaky, she attempted to slip in unnoticed.
However, the moment her foot touched the water, she lost her balance and fell forward—right into Lynn's arms.
Reflexively, Lynn caught her.
Kagome bit her lip, her body trembling slightly as heat rushed to her face.
Lynn glanced at his skill description.
[Kushimitama] (Symbolizes Happiness, Love, and Vitality).
Lynn lightly kneaded Kagome's soft skin, concluding that it likely meant "luck" more than anything else.
Having tested all aspects of [Four-Soul Devil], he copied the status information onto paper.
Don't ask where he got paper in a hot spring. Magic. The answer is always magic.
He handed the status sheet to Midoriko, who looked at it in a daze.
"So… that's what he really meant…"
She murmured to herself, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Lynn turned his attention to Kagome.
"Alright, your turn."
Kagome hesitated for a moment before timidly nodding. Blushing deeply, she turned her back to him.
Even with the refraction of water, her silhouette remained stunningly clear.
Lynn pressed a [Devil's Piece] against her smooth back.
A moment later, she felt the same sensation Midoriko had experienced.
[Notification: You have acquired Familia member 'Higurashi Kagome'!]
[Notification: Your Familia member 'Kagome Higurashi' has reincarnated as a Special-Type Devil…]
---
[HigurashiKagome]
→Rank: Low-Class Devil
→Race: Devil
→Master: Lynn Valifer
→Stats:
•Strength: I0
•Agility: I0
•Endurance: I0
•Magic: I0
→Unique Skills: [Purification Power] & [Connecting Devil]
—[Purification Power]—
•Spiritual Energy
•Special attack against evil beings
—[Connecting Devil]—
•Key to Connecting Pathways (Currently Linked: 'Modern Era ↔ 500 Years Ago')
•Devil Transformation (Gateway Mode)
---
Kagome's stats weren't particularly outstanding, but [Connecting Devil] was extremely useful.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to rely on the Bone-Eater's Well to travel through time anymore.
In this world, there were plenty of places even teleportation magic couldn't reach.
For example… the Underworld.
If he wanted, he could have Kagome establish a connection, allowing direct access whenever needed.
"Not bad. That's a really useful ability."
Lynn gave her an encouraging pat on the back.
Kagome felt an intense heat spreading through her, staying silent as she accepted the blessing system information.
Still…
She really was a devil now.
Before, she thought it was just some weird joke.
…So that means Yukino, Miko and the others must be devils too?
Now she finally understood why Shuchiin Academy's Supernatural Research Club was full of girls.
It was a complete harem!
.
.
.
P.S.: That was six chapters, so it's only fair that everyone drops six stones, right?