For a moment, silence reigned

Souichirou, having landed on the asphalt road, was battered and bruised. His body, already riddled with injuries, bore fresh wounds, and the coat he typically wore was stained with his own blood.

He idly thought about sending the coat to the exorcist-supporting cleaning services run by

Kamiarizuki

while his eyes drifted to the road.

There, on the asphalt, lay a relic glimmering with hues of gray clouds and clear blue skies, blending together.

…

They had won.

The realization of victory crawled up from his feet and settled in his chest. But what he felt wasn’t joy—it was relief.

They had faced a

Sixth Rank

monster, and no one had died. That simple fact brought him immense solace, so much so that he nearly collapsed on the spot.

But there was no time to relax.

There were still too many tasks left to do.

His blade, which had been used recklessly, needed care. The battle with Arame Koushi had shattered the blacksmith’s barrier; it needed to be repaired.

The

Heavy Rain

and

Storm Bomb

had devastated the forest, leaving sections of the mountainside exposed. Replanting or crafting a natural cover story would be necessary.

Even if he passed all these tasks to

Kamiarizuki

, one major issue remained.

“…”

Souichirou raised his gaze skyward. There, still floating, was Nina and the dragon-like fairy at her side—her

Ifrit

, as she had called it.

It wasn’t the Ifrit he knew, but answering that mystery could wait.

The real issue was Nina herself.

A child whose trauma at the hands of monsters had cut so deeply that she couldn’t even use magic.

She seemed to have recovered—or at least appeared to have. But was that true? Or was it just a façade?

She had faced monsters head-on without succumbing to terror, even managing to exorcise them. That alone made it seem as though she had overcome her fear. But was this just wishful thinking on his part?

Souichirou was lost in thought when suddenly—

BOOOOONG!

“…!?”

A deafening chime rang out.

Before he could even react, the

sky split open

.

Cracks formed in the once-clear heavens, and in an instant, everything darkened.

As the fissure widened, something massive emerged—a

gigantic arm

.

It was inhuman, with each finger far exceeding ten meters in length. The colossal hand opened wide and descended straight toward the relic left by Arame Koushi.

Souichirou wasn’t the only one who noticed. Nina turned as well, extending her arm and commanding Ifrit to act.

Her movements clearly aimed to exorcise the monstrous presence. Watching her, Souichirou felt a flicker of realization—Nina had truly overcome her trauma.

But that thought was quickly replaced by panic at her recklessness.

“

Run!

” he shouted.

But before his voice could reach her, Nina vanished into the sky.

When his vision returned, Souichirou found himself in a wasteland devoid of normal trees.

“…What the hell?”

The words slipped out as he took in the scene. Around him were stone wells, the foundations of what might have once been a mountain cabin, and the one-eyed monster child who was buried headfirst in the ground.

It seemed he had returned to the blacksmith’s

atelier

—or what remained of it. The devastation around him resembled the aftermath of a terrible storm.

A monster attack?

No, the atelier had been protected by barriers. There was no way it could have been found.

Souichirou tried to make sense of the situation, but with no clear information, he gave up and turned to the one-eyed monster buried nearby.

Stay updated via empire

“Are you okay?”

“…Yeah,” came the tired reply.

With a grunt, the monster pulled his head free from the ground.

His dirt-covered face turned toward Souichirou.

“You alright, young master?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Souichirou glanced at his body. No notable injuries. Around his neck, the necklace holding the relics of Raikou Douji and Adashino Harunaga had somehow returned.

As he inspected himself, he realized he was holding something in his hand.

“…?”

It was strange—he hadn’t noticed it until now, as though waking up and finding a blanket in hand. Curious, he opened his palm to look—

BOOOOONG!

A deafening chime shattered the air.

“What the hell!?”

“What’s happening!?”

They both turned toward the source.

The sky was split open again, and from it emerged the

gigantic arm

, extending further.

“

Nina!?

” Souichirou shouted as his enhanced vision magic,

Guiding Threads: Visual Reinforcement

, revealed Nina floating in the sky.

Why is she up there!?

Pushing the question aside, Souichirou used

Quick Shot

magic to extend his

Guiding Threads

and reinforce his body. With a swift motion, he yanked Nina toward him.

But his pull was too strong, causing Nina to lose her balance mid-air.

“…!”

Realizing his mistake, Souichirou leapt without hesitation. Wrapping

Guiding Threads

around his legs, he launched himself upward, defying gravity.

The leap carried him farther than intended—his magic, amplified by the dense sanctuary energy, was difficult to control.

Even so, he managed to catch Nina mid-air.

“…Itsuki!?”

“Sorry for being late.”

Cradling her securely in his arms, Souichirou finally drew a bright smile from Nina.

Floating beside her was a mysterious woman—a fiery, horned figure who vanished the moment their eyes met.

Souichirou turned his gaze back to the sky, where the colossal arm continued its descent. Directly below it stood his father.

What the hell is going on!?

Unsure of the situation but knowing he couldn’t hesitate, Souichirou unleashed his magic.

“

Pierce through—Moonbite!

“

FWOOOOOSH!

A small black crescent shot forth, carving through flesh and bone and leaving a gaping hole in the massive arm.

But the arm was too large; the attack couldn’t destroy it entirely. Hanging by a shred of flesh, the arm swung limply before tearing free and plummeting to the ground.

The severed section was yanked back into the sky, the fissure rapidly closing behind it.

As Souichirou prepared to intercept the falling arm with his threads, a flash of light caught his eye—his father’s blade.

In an instant, the

Guiding Threads

extended from his father’s blade and streaked toward the arm.

Before Souichirou could process his intent, there was a sharp slicing sound.

“…?”

In a single motion, his father had cleaved the massive arm in two.

The severed pieces erupted in a spray of blood, the crimson droplets cascading like rain. His father’s follow-up slash split even the falling blood, preventing it from tainting the ground.

The bisected arm crashed into the river and mountainside, shattering guardrails and flooding the area with a thunderous roar.

“…Amazing,” Nina murmured, awestruck.

As Souichirou and Nina fell from the sky, his father extended his arms, catching them effortlessly.

The

Guiding Threads

wrapped securely around his arms, filling Souichirou with relief as he landed in his father’s embrace.

His father gently patted his head, smiling.

“Welcome home, Itsuki.”

“…Yeah.”

Still held tightly in his father’s arms, Itsuki nodded.

“I’m back, Dad.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep