章 101: A Shrine Maiden's purpose to live
The sun was beginning to set over Atlas, casting long shadows across the city.
The day had been chaotic, with the relentless assault of the Grimm and the infiltration attempts from Salem's forces.
There were still Grimm invading, but they were less in numbers compared to previously
Sakura kneeled on the cold metallic floor, her sharp eyes scanning the room housing the Relic
The signs of battle were evident- even though they were subtle
She could still feel the lingering energy of the fight coursing through her- it was not a particularly hard fight
But still, she was not used to fighting humanoid opponents.
As a Shrine Maiden, she was adept at fighting beasts and unintelligent creatures, however…. From now on, she knows that she will have to fight beings with intelligence, so she has to carefully adjust her fighting style
"Good work, Sakura."
The voice that broke the silence was familiar, filled with a calm authority that Sakura had come to respect.
She turned to see Adam—Asterios, as she knew him—approaching.
His expression was as composed as ever, his presence commanding even in this moment of reprieve.
Beside him, Higokumaru bounced forward in the air, her small, fox-like form radiating energy despite the day's events.
"Thank you, Asterios-sama," Sakura replied, inclining her head slightly in a gesture of respect.
"Haah, I've told you before…" He sighed softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "-There's no need to call me that."
"I agree!"
Higokumaru piped up, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Sister Sakura, you should call him 'boss' or 'big brother'... like me!"
Sakura's eyes widened slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she shot Higokumaru a reprimanding look.
"Higokumaru, stop being so disrespectful."
"It's fine, Sakura." The silver-haired boy chuckled, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Really, it doesn't bother me at all."
"See?" Higokumaru grinned, pleased with herself. "Big brother doesn't mind!"
Adam nodded, still smiling. "To be honest, it would be a bit weird to hear little Higokumaru calling me '-sama' or 'Master.'"
"...Asterios-sama…." Sakura hesitated for a moment, considering his words. "...Do you want me to call you Master?"
Cough
Adam coughed, taken aback by the suggestion.
"No need," He said quickly, shaking his head as if to emphasize his point. "Really, there's no need."
"I see"
The Shrine Maiden nodded at his confirmation
"By the way…."
The silver-haired once again spoke up, glancing at the fainted Mercury black on the floor
"Just a thief"
She cooly replied, not even sparing a glance at the old man taking a nap on the floor
"Hm…."
Adam didn't comment on her answer, instead, he was scanning the old man up and down
No, it didn't seem that he was looking at this guy's body. Instead, his eyes were glowing golden, analytically scanning Mercury Black
"....."
Without a word, Asterios extended his hand forward, palm facing the thief resting on the metal floor
With a familiar gesture, a purplish-black vortex extended from his palm, enveloping the thief whole and swallowing him
"...."
When the old guy was devoured, Adam paused, his eyes slipping into a daze
Turning to the Shrine Maiden, he smiled and opened his mouth-
"Thank you, Sakura"
It was a bright and sincere smile of gratitude
- It was as if he obtained something precious from devouring this mere thief
"I was only doing my job, Asterios-sama"
She shook her head indifferently
After all, what she did wasn't extraordinary
Wasn't it natural to protect something precious from thieves?
As his Miko, this was natural for her- Asterios-sama didn't have to thank her
"Still…. This guy's ability is amazing, so I am quite grateful"
The silver-haired boy' eyes lit up when mentioning the thief's ability
"So, do you have any wishes? I would do my best to fulfill it"
He placed his hands on his hips, looking at her with an inquiring gaze
"...."
Sakura's eyes dimmed as she looked downwards
Wish? Although she wasn't worthy of such a thing, she was not in a position to deny his gift
And…. she did have one wish
"I… do have one w-wish…."
"I-"
She stuttered out, a faint and rare meekness in her voice
"Is it Kallen?"
Just as the pink-haired woman was about to continue, Adam interrupted her
"...."
She only replied with a hesitant nod
The Shrine Maiden knew that her wish was unreasonable
Her era was over. Kallen was dead, and she had no chance of seeing her again
…. But that was the only thing she desired right now
Her sister was also dead….. But there was Higokumaru.
She didn't know how this worked, but Asterios-sama assured her that Higokumaru was indeed 'Sakura's' sister
….Indeed, though a bit different, that little fox companion of hers was very similar to Rin
So her only desire is to see Kallen
"Well….."
Adam put a hand on his forehead, a helpless look flashing on his face
"I can't revive her….But I could introduce you to the closest thing that would count as her 'family'"
"Thank you…"
She thanked him
Sakura didn't know what exactly he meant by that, since she was sure that Kallen didn't leave behind any children
But she trusted him, and she knew that he was powerful, and had miraculous means.
….
..
.
A brief silence settled over them, the conversation ending as each of them became lost in their own thoughts.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the city.
"By the way…"
After a moment, Adam broke the silence, his tone thoughtful.
"Aren't you curious about this world? A world that has no Honkai energy?"
Sakura didn't answer immediately, her gaze shifting to the distant mountains on the horizon.
"It is… strange"
She admitted finally.
"Yeah, boss! I'm curious too!" Higokumaru's eyes lit up with excitement. "How can I use my power here when there's no Honkai energy?"
Sakura's foxy ears twitched slightly, showing her own curiosity as she waited for Adam's explanation.
"Well…"
The blue-eyed boy began, closing his eyes
"We've signed a Master-Servant contract, right?"
"Uhuh!" Higokumaru nodded rapidly.
"This contract links our souls together," Adam continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "With a bit of modification… and some assistance from one of my unique skills, I can provide you with energy so you can use your original power."
Higokumaru blinked, absorbing the information as best she could- as best as her little brain can handle
"I see!"
She exclaimed, her grin widening.
"So that's why I can still use my powers here!"
The little fox nodded rapidly once again
...
Although she didn't understand all of that, she comprehended the gist of it
Basically, Big Brother was smart, powerful, and awesome! That is why she could use her power here!
...
The pink-haired warrior beside them listened carefully, her expression thoughtful as she processed his words.
"And what about you, Sakura?"
Adam's voice echoed throughout the room as he asked, turning his attention back to her.
"....."
Sakura took a moment to consider her response.
"I am… also curious about this world that has no demons—or rather, Honkai energy and beasts" She said slowly. "Though there are beasts here, they are quite different… And they don't seem as dangerous."
Indeed, Grimm here were mere children's toys compared to actual honkai beasts
Even Ancient Grimm can never compare to the horror of Judgement-level Honkai beasts
"That's only natural"
Adam rolled his eyes at her obvious observation
"Grimm can't compare to Honkai beasts. And their creator, the Dark God, can't match up to Honkai itself, either."
He remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Sakura nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words, even though she was aware that her intellect wasn't suited for such topics
….
This world was different- unfamiliar in many ways, but she was beginning to understand it.
Of course, she only knew about these 'Grimm' beasts, the woman behind them, and some soul-type Aura ability
It was her first time hearing about the brother gods from Asterios, but it didn't matter to her
Beings like Gods were beyond her. She was only a simple Miko serving her master out of gratitude
And with Adam—Asterios—by her side, she is feeling a sense of purpose.
Whether in her original world, or this one, the fact that she doesn't belong remains stable
The Shrine Maiden's era has long since passed.
If it wasn't for Asterios-sama still having a use for her, she would have long sunk into that 'Stigmata Space' and stayed there with Higokumaru for all of eternity
In fact, she doesn't even deserve that.
She should be dead. Kallen has already died, and without her, what meaning is there in her current existence?
Her magenta eyes flickered over to Asterios/Adam who was leaning against the wall, hands crossed against his chest
His eyes were closed, and his body motionless like a statue
It was as if he was patiently waiting for something- or someone
'Indeed….'
-That was her answer
If Sakura wasn't needed, she would never have appeared in this world again
So she is deeply grateful to Asterios-sama for giving her a sense of purpose, and allowing her to glimpse at this world
…
..
.
------
A/N:
I had to split the chapter in two parts
Up until this part was a nice end for a singular chapter, and it is like an interlude... So that is why this is so short
My original intention was to upload them in one sitting, but that didn't feel right
I will upload the second part on friday. So don't worry
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