, I don’t like that she has answered practically all of them correctly, but I at least have accepted it now.” (Tomoe)

“Mio, it seems like this shrine maiden-san is good at cooking. Won’t it help you in increasing your menu?” (Makoto)

“I will decide if I will let her inside the kitchen, but I have understood that she does have knowledge about your world-desu wa.” (Mio)

“Shiki, wouldn’t it help you in your research if you had someone with the magic knowledge of Gods?” (Makoto)

“If it’s just purely listening to opinions, I think it will be beneficial. I didn’t find any space for doubts in those clear answers of hers.” (Shiki)

“Thank you very much, everyone. I may be a newcomer, but please, take care of me.”

...Why is it...my stomach is feeling slightly itchy.

“You are jumping the gun a bit there.” (Tomoe)

“Eh?”

Tomoe?

“To become the follower of Waka, there’s a customary event that has to be done. Of course, I will have you do it as well.” (Tomoe)

Even I don’t know about that custom though?

Yeah, I have no memories of deciding something like that.

And yet, Mio and Shiki seem to have an idea about it, they show joy in their face as they nod at the words of Tomoe.

Seriously?

Why is there an unknown custom in making a pact with me?

A custom is something that is established after repeatedly doing it and becomes a settled thing to do, right?

The only thing that I have definitely done with Tomoe and the others when making a pact, is only that, a pact—ah.

Don’t tell me...

“I didn’t know about that. I will happily do it. What would that custom entail?”

Wait, could it be...

“Don’t worry, it is nothing complicated. We will only have you fight Waka with all you have-ja.” (Tomoe)

“...Hah?”

So it really was that!!!

“And with the intend to kill.” (Tomoe)

The shrine maiden-san now has her eyes wide opened!!

“Like hell there’s such a dangerous custom!” (Makoto)

“Now now Waka. The result is obvious, but it is a form of welcoming you know? Mio, Shiki and I; all of us have fought with our all against Waka before making a pact.” (Tomoe)

“Well, that’s true but...” (Makoto)

“It is logical that we would want the new follower to show us her power at the very least. Because you can mix falsehood in your words as much as you want after all.” (Tomoe)

It is certainly true that I don’t know the strength and type of power this shrine maiden-san has.

I simply felt like she wouldn’t fall behind Tomoe and the others, so I thought that she was definitely strong.

Also, that she doesn’t have the required amount of strength to accompany me.

Mio and Shiki were nodding over and over again as if it is a matter of course, and were riding on the words of Tomoe.

“But to go with the intend to kill is just...” (Makoto)

“Everyone did that too. Also, if you are to form a pact, you won’t be able to fight seriously against each other. It is something you can only do now.” (Tomoe)

“Hm...” (Makoto)

“What a blunder. To think that I would ask to be a member of your group without even showing my power. It is certainly true that I have done something discourteous. If Goshujin-sama consents, I will happily do it.”

Uh, the shrine maiden-san is quite the fighting type huh.

Not only did she not flinch, she was positive about it.

Tomoe and the others have narrowed their eyes slightly and accepted her words.

Well, if I don’t go with the intend to kill, I don’t think it will turn into anything serious.

In terms of killing intent, I didn’t have any of those with Tomoe and the others either after all.

Well, in the case of Mio, that might be questionable though.

“Then, let’s move to a more spacious place. I wouldn’t want to fight within Shinto shrine grounds after all.” (Makoto)

Even if the shrine maiden-san doesn’t mind, I don’t want to do it.

I press the others to go outside.

“Right.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe doesn’t seem to mind that and consented in leaving.

Leaving aside the shrine maiden-san, Tomoe likes the Shinto shrine itself, so it is probably the obvious response huh.

“Thanks for the consideration, Goshujin-sama. The only ability I can be proud of compared to the others is probably only my speed, but I will do my best. Please do take care of me.”

“Ah, same here.” (Makoto)

Speed.

That’s the weapon of this shrine maiden-san huh.

I thought she would do things like using yin-yang spells or use a naginata.

No well, speed can coexist with both possibilities.

Actually, isn’t it strange to reveal that herself?

...Hah...I can’t help but feel like I am already falling in the trap of my opponent by thinking about this.

As I thought, there’s no doubt she is the type I have difficulty in dealing with.

I can’t let her stir up my mind and lose.

That would be way too pathetic.

I will fight with my own fighting style.

On top of that, I will make her show the cards she has so that the three have a peace of mind, and I will win.

The things that I have to do, and the things that Tomoe expects me to do; if it’s my current self, I can somewhat grasp what those are.

We temporarily leave the grounds of the Shinto shrine and head to a plain we saw while we were on our way here.

“This is a good place.”

“Will you be able to show your power to your heart’s content?” (Tomoe)

“Yes.”

“Waka, are you prepared too?” (Tomoe)

“Anytime you want.” (Makoto)

“Then I will be stepping back.” (Tomoe)

Tomoe bows towards me and heads to where Mio and Shiki are.

That place doesn’t have anything delineating the area, but if it’s those three, they will be able to defend against the attacks that come flying and the waves, so there’s no need to worry.

I just have to concentrate on the white-skinned shrine maiden-san in front of me.

“I am completely prepared. Goshujin-sama, when you have finished your preparations, please let me know.”

“...”

At her waist, she has a matching pair of long and short swords, and in her hands, a naginata huh.

Also, she has something hidden in her bosom.

So she is completely prepared.

Being equipped with weapons is quite the human-like way of fighting.

“Goshujin-sama?”

Towards a person that I will be forming a pact with, moreover, someone that I will be fight with the intend to kill even if it’s for argument’s sake; it would be strange for me to always be speaking formally to someone like that huh.

She did ask me to stop the formal speech.

“Anytime you want. Just like I told you before, they did tell you to fight with the intend to kill, so there’s no need for you to be considerate.” (Makoto)

“Ara.”

...An extreme bloodlust was suddenly emitted.

This isn’t something that can be immediately aimed at someone that she had been calling Goshujin-sama not that long ago.

That smile and her gaze that had been gentle from beginning to end, for the first time, I felt like emotions had been lit in them.

......

Even though I hadn’t taken my eyes off the shrine maiden-san, her figure disappeared.

If this is something caused by speed, this is an incredible degree.

Immediately following that, I felt an impact from the Magic Armor that I had expanded narrowly and concentrated.

The grass sparsely growing in the area shook with a slight delay.

There’s unreasonable spells like teleportation, and I have already gotten used to this parallel world, so I won’t get surprised just because she disappeared though.

So this is truly the speed she can bring out without any visible motion?

“Even if it was just in place of a greeting, it is surprising that you are unscathed. As expected. By the way...I am only a shrine maiden with no name yet, but it wouldn’t be suitable to call me No Name or shrine maiden here.”

Her voice was coming from a place I don’t know.

I can’t see her, and her presence is here and there and I am unable to catch it at all.

Like a strong flickering light, she is clearly lowering and increasing her presence and bloodlust in order to confuse me.

I take one deep breath and let it out.

There’s no need to get agitated.

It will be a long fight anyways.

It is fine to just converse.

“And?” (Makoto)

“That’s why, I will be telling you an alias of mine. A name I have been called with a long time ago.”

“That would help a lot. Honestly speaking, I didn’t felt good calling you shrine maiden-san all the time.” (Makoto)

In the middle of the conversation, I could feel attacks being dealt several times.

And there were also impacts from magic.

I couldn’t see either of those.

I honestly think that this is impressive.

I can understand why she is proud of it.

From the front, sides, back; they are not reaching me, but I am one-sidedly receiving attacks.

“Fufu. Touda, there was a time in the past when I was called that way. It was truly a short time though.” (Touda)

“Touda huh. Understood.” (Makoto)

I feel I have heard it before.

Even so, from what I heard in the conversation before, there’s no assurance it will be of help right now.

Instead of trying to remember, it would be better to concentrate on the girl I am fighting with.

She said she had many names, and that she has been associated with many existences; if I were to be bothered by every single thing like that, there would be no end.

That’s fine.

Because in terms of her power...I will make her show it from now on after all.historical