PHASE 11 - SHRINE MAIDENS AND GIGGLES

“That’s a touching story.” Asumi sniffed. She used the loose sleeves of her shrine maiden dress to wipe her tears.

“Rikkun, that was so sad…” Tiara covered her mouth with both of her hands. Her puppy eyes are trying hard not to cry.

“I never knew you went through that…” Ayano frowned.

I just told these three about my past, and it seems like I have made them catch feelings. It’s not like I wanted to tell it to them. They pestered me non-stop from day one of my stay here in Kozukata Shrine, so I gave up.

It’s been a week since I first stepped here. Kozukata Shrine is located on top of a mountain near the Heightsburg Forest. I am forced to take the 112 step-stairs just to reach the entrance of the said shrine. Living with twenty shrine maidens who appears to be Gate Guardians is a tough job. I am forced to sleep here in a ten-hectare Japanese shrine for my training. My physical, mental, and emotional capabilities are stretched to its limit.

I’ll introduce my three mentors.

The first one is Asumi Kozukata, who is the head of the Kozukata Shrine Maidens. She is in charge of teaching me how to use battle spells in order to fight Eidolons. She has this long brown hair that was braided and tied into loops. Among the shrine maidens, she was the most lively and noisy. Also, she may not look like it, but that woman is about thirty years old but looks like a teenager. She doesn’t age at all.

The second is Tiara Hikari. She enhanced my strength and agility by doing a lot of workouts, including lifting human-sized boulders, meditating on an active waterfall, and parkour on the forest. Tiara left the condominium unit and decided to live with me in the shrine as long as I’m on this training camp.

The third is Ayano Mochizuki. She was in charge of explaining to me the theories about battle tactics and other techniques. Out of all shrine maidens, she is the sexiest of them all. She got the largest bust size, thinnest waist, and thickest hip. She would be perfect if she’s not creepily perverted among her fellow shrine maidens.

At first, I was worried that I might not get along with them. But the extroverted personality of their leader Asumi was enough to keep me pissed every single day. I still hate women, but these shrine maidens are different. They are all so innocent and inexperienced in terms of love.

Living in a shrine on top of a hill and near the forest makes it a relaxing experience, only if it wasn’t for the giggling noise that maidens produce every time they saw me. Being a handsome person makes every girl annoying to you.

Aside from that, I had a good food, good sleep, and good shit on this place. The travel time from Heightsburg to Dradecim is only for thirty minutes, so everything is favorable. If only there’s some guy whom I could talk to, I will consider living here until I graduate.

Well, I have Tiara here, so that’s better than nothing.

<>

It was seven in the evening. I went to Tiara’s room to extinguish my boredom in this quiet place. Her room was so minimalistic and tidy. Everything's in its proper place, and there are no decorations on her room.

I saw her in front of a large mirror, posing and turning like a model. She was examining the new shrine maiden outfit she received. Unlike her old tattered white kimono, this new outfit has red linings and some gold decorations. The new outfit exposes her flawless back completely.

She really is a bagel girl. Too sexy for her cute face. Her body ratio is top notch, and her skinny thighs together with her childbearing hips is a winner winner chicken dinner combination.

“R-Rikkun!?” Tiara finally noticed me. “W-W-W-What are you doing here?”

“That dress looks good in you.” I said.

“Um-I-Err…” Tiara’s face went full red. “T-This is um… our uniform s-so it’s n-n-natural for m-me to wear it…”

She’s too cute! I didn’t resist myself to pet her head like a good dog. She’s quite embarrassed, but she bowed in order for me to caress more area on her head. She liked it.

She’s a puppy I would want to protect.

“My mother used to do that to me when I was four.” Tiara muttered.

I stopped brushing her head when she moved and sat on her bed. And then she continued her story.

“My mother... She was the second wife of my father, who has several wives. He left us when I was a baby so my mother is the only one who nourished me. When I was five, my mother died. Asumi, who was the head of this shrine, open-heartedly adopted me. She raised me to become a proper Gate Guardian. I was not permitted to go to the outside world until I turn seventeen. Thankfully, I was never alone in this world. I have Ms. Asumi who serves as my mother. I have the support of all the shrine maidens. And… I have you, as my most precious friend.”

I slowly walked towards her and pushed my face closer to her. She closed her eyes, her defenses completely open. I had a stare with her wet pinkish lips. I wonder what it tastes like if I kissed it.

Suddenly, the door of this room was shut open.

“Hey, we will hunt Eidolons this night! You two, get ready to showcase your skills!” Asumi shouted.

“E-Eh?”

I jumped back in surprise, making a dumbstruck facial expression. Tiara made the same, but her face maintained its reddish complexion.

Asumi saved my life. If that kiss succeeded, I might’ve fallen in love again.

I know some of you guys are saying “Hey Alaric, you’re being soft and wishy-washy!” Well, guess what? Every person breaks their character if they are horny. So shut the hell up.

<>

Asumi, Tiara, that bitchy runt Jeannette, and I went to a nearby abandoned hospital as the field for our Eidolon Hunt.

This giant establishment is the Heightsburg City’s infamous Red Hospital, which is a well known haunted building of the country. It’s called that way because during a full moon, the hospital’s white paint mysteriously becomes red. It’s crescent moon this night, so we didn’t have that crazy opportunity.

“First, open your gate,” Jeannette ordered.

I swiped my index finger to thin air, and a dimensional wound started to open and glowed a bright light! Then there was a blinding flash!

We’re here, in the dimension called Yami. The home of Eidolons. In front of me is a gigantic castle of Dracula. There was this pair of large wooden church doors in front of us. Tiara helped me push the doors and then we realized that we’re inside a white mansion entrance.

At the center is a red carpet, leading to the stairs.

And there the Eidolon waits. It was a six-meter tall skeleton wearing a ragged wizard’s cape. Its eye sockets emitted a red glaring light, and the monster has begun its loud chewing noises with its teeth.

“Tiara will assist you in defeating that Eidolon.” Asumi made a smirk.

“Roger!” Tiara and I nodded and readied ourselves from this battle.

Tiara slammed her fist together and prepared for a boxing stance. “I’ll take the front lines. Give me support, Rikkun!”

Normally, Tiara is given the support role because of her high-grade healing powers. She used to be a healer and not a brawler. But in this fight, we have to show our capabilities in hunting an Eidolon together. I have to show the fruits of my training, and Tiara needs to prove that her martial arts are perfect!

I touched my watch and pulled it as if I was drawing a sword. There was this blue streak that followed my hand, and the blue streak concentrated its particles to form a katana!

“Let’s test my new powers!” I smiled.