Chapter 47 – I’ll handle it alone!

"Begone," I hissed, the word slipping past my lips like a command. It felt right, as if the universe itself was responding to my will. And with that, I slammed the talisman down onto the roof.

As soon as the talisman made contact with the roof, a brilliant light engulfed me. The energy surged through my body, warm and weightless, as if something deep within me had been awakened. Then, I felt it, my clothes shifting.

My usual dark and pink dress, which perfectly matched my white hair tinged with soft pink, began to change. The fabric shimmered, dissolving into golden particles before reforming into something new. The weight of my attire felt different, lighter, more refined.

I glanced down, my eyes widening.

A traditional shrine maiden outfit had replaced my dress—a flowing white haori adorned with intricate red patterns along the sleeves, paired with a crimson hakama that swayed gently around my legs. The ribbons that once decorated my hair had transformed into delicate ornaments resembling tiny golden butterflies.

"Whoa…" I breathed, running my fingers over the smooth fabric.

From below, Yuzu let out an excited squeal. "Mashiro! Mashiro so cute! So bery shrine! So divine!" She practically sparkled as she jumped up and down, her tail wagging furiously.

Catherine, on the other hand, facepalmed. "Oh great. She's evolving."

Before I could process their reactions, a notification flickered in front of me.

[Class Obtained: Shrine Maiden of Fortune]

[Effect: +20% effectiveness to purification abilities. Shrine-based Gacha rolls now available.]

A wave of energy erupted from the charm, the force of it vibrating through the air. A brilliant flash of light shot out in all directions, and for a split second, everything around me was bathed in a pure, blinding radiance. The cockroaches froze in midair, their erratic movements halted as if caught in the force of the talisman's power. A deep, resonating hum filled the air, and the next moment, the cockroaches were flying erratically.

I stared at the cockroaches, a wave of disbelief washing over me as the energy from the talisman slowly faded into the air. The brilliant light that had engulfed the area now dissipated, leaving only the lingering hum of the charm's power. My grip on the talisman tightened instinctively, my heart still pounding with the residual adrenaline.

The cockroaches, once buzzing erratically, now hovered uncertainty in the air, their movements sluggish and uncoordinated. They looked... different. The aura of menace that had once surrounded them seemed to evaporate, leaving them looking almost... normal? But still repulsive. The disgusting twitching of their legs and their grotesque, glossy wings hadn't changed. They were still cockroaches. Huge ones. But something was different—something had shifted.

<< Gokibura (Lv. 3) >>

Health Points: 35/264 [13.25%]

Attack: 4

Category: Monsters

Description: Evil spirits exorcised, now they're Just regular big sized cockroaches. STILL THEY"RE COCKROACHES, KILL IT NOW!

I blinked, my mouth falling open slightly in surprise. The talisman's effect had purged whatever supernatural aura had been driving them, stripping away their terrifying powers. But it hadn't made them any less disgusting. They were still cockroaches, and the idea of them buzzing around my head made my skin crawl all over again.

My heart skipped a beat as the snowy nine tailed fox slipped from my grip, darting forward with incredible speed. For a moment, all I could do was watch in stunned silence as she leapt through the air, her graceful form cutting through the space like a streak of white lightning. Without hesitation, she landed squarely on one of the cockroaches, sinking her teeth into its hard exoskeleton with surprising strength. The cockroach gave a loud, disgusting screech, its wings fluttering wildly as the fox tossed it effortlessly toward me.

"Wha–!" My body reacted on instinct, my sword raised just in time to intercept the incoming cockroach. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh, cleaving through the cockroach's body as it flew at me. But that wasn't all—the moment the cockroach made contact with the edge of my sword, a butterfly spawned behind me.

The butterfly's ethereal form shimmered as it descended upon the cockroach with a flurry of graceful, yet deadly, attacks. Its wings beat in rapid succession, and flew towards the cockroach and disintegrated the insect entirely.

I stood frozen for a split second, watching as the glowing energy from the butterfly flickered and faded. The only thing left in the air was the faint scent of ozone, alongside a familiar gem it dropped in which I immediately took before it fell down onto my feet.

[+45 EXP]

[+20 Weapon EXP ]

[+4 Luminous Gem]

The remaining two cockroaches, now visibly shaken, buzzed in the air, clearly more cautious than before. But they weren't going down that easily.

I breathed, still trying to process what had just happened. "That was… impressive," I murmured, turning to the nine-tailed silver fox that had just landed gracefully beside me on the roof.

She shook her fur lightly, her nine tails flicking behind her in a rhythmic sway, as if leaping straight into a cockroach mid-air had been nothing more than a casual pastime for her. Despite her small frame, barely the size of a housecat, she had just proven herself more capable than I could have ever expected. And more importantly… She could fly?!

I stared at her, my ears twitching. "How… how did you even do that?"

The fox simply tilted her head at me, her deep eyes shining with something between mischief and wisdom. Then, without answering, she sat down primly, as if expecting me to figure it out myself.

Catherine's voice echoed up from below, her tone both relieved and slightly incredulous. "Well, I guess that's one way to deal with them."

I quickly shifted my attention back to the remaining cockroaches, focusing once more on the task at hand. I wasn't out of danger yet, and with their newfound resolve, I knew the fight was far from over.

"Alright, let's finish this," I muttered, tightening my grip on my sword once more.

Yuzu's excited voice rang out from below, filled with enthusiasm. "Yuzu ready to help! Let's make them squish!"

I shook my head, my grip tightening around my sword. "It's okay! I'll handle it alone!" I called back. There was something about this moment—the rush of battle, the talisman's lingering warmth in my hand, and the unexpected power I had just gained—that made me want to see this through by myself.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied my stance on the rooftop. My wings had stopped fluttering wildly, and I noticed something peculiar, my stamina had fully recovered. A quick glance at my status confirmed it.

<< Mashiro's Wings Lv. 1 >>

Stamina: 100/100 [100%]

It seemed that as long as I wasn't actively flying, my stamina would regenerate on its own. Convenient… It was the kind of game mechanic you'd expect from a gacha system.

I didn't waste time thinking—I simply moved. With a quick flutter, my butterfly wings spread wide, catching the sunlight as I propelled myself upward. The weight of my new shrine maiden attire barely registered as I swung my sword through the air, aiming for the remaining two flying cockroaches.

The sun was shining directly on them, their glossy black shells reflecting the light in an unsettling way. My first strike—missed. They were fast, darting unpredictably in erratic zigzags. I clenched my teeth, adjusting my grip before twisting midair and slashing again.

This time, my blade connected. A sharp crackle rang out as I landed a solid hit, dealing 15 damage to both of them. Almost instantly, the golden swallowtail butterfly hovering near me fluttered forward, lashing out with a shimmering wing strike. A soft pulse of light followed as it dealt an additional 2 damage to each cockroach.

I exhaled, feeling a strange sense of ease. After being struck by my talisman, the cockroaches had lost their bizarre immunity, weakened significantly now that they had shifted from the NONO category into regular monsters.

They were still disgusting, still fast—but now, they could be dealt with.

Taking advantage of their sluggish movements, I struck again, my blade slicing cleanly through the air. Another direct hit. The cockroaches twitched violently, their wings faltering as their HP dwindled further.

Out of the corner of my eye, a sudden blur of white caught my attention. The ninetail fox had leapt into action.

With an elegant, almost effortless motion, she soared through the air, her fluffy tails trailing behind her like wisps of cloud. Her small yet sharp fangs latched onto one of the remaining cockroaches mid-flight, sinking in before she whipped her head around and flung it toward me.

My eyes widened. "Wha—?!"

No time to think. Instinct kicked in. I raised my sword just as the airborne cockroach hurtled toward me. With a swift downward slash, I struck it midair, the impact sending it crashing toward the shrine's roof.

The swallowtail butterfly followed up with another precise attack, striking the now-grounded insect with a final, glimmering blow.

[+45 EXP]

[+20 Weapon EXP ]

One down, as it turned into a luminous gem. One left remaining.

I steadied my breath, my grip tightening around my sword. The last cockroach was still buzzing freely, its erratic flight pattern making it hard to predict. It twitched, jaw clicking as it zeroed in on me.

But before it could make its move, the nine tail fox's eyes gleamed. She coiled her body midair, her paws barely touching the shrine's rooftop as she launched herself once more, her movements swift, graceful—predatory. Her next target was clear.

The final cockroach had nowhere to run.