LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 279
279. Summer Rest – Battle Tribe (3)
That powerful barrier was torn apart like paper by the strength of a single girl.
She didn’t even activate her Divine Beast Transformation.
Maybe that’s why she seemed even scarier than usual.
I realized a person could turn into a monster for just one diary.
I got to witness the end of the line for scumbags who crossed the line they shouldn’t have.
“AAAH!!!”
“Save me…, Kyaaa!!”
“I’m sorry! I won’t do it again…, Uwaaa!!”
“Don’t!! Don’t touch that…. Cough!”
A storm swept through.
It was like a feral beast was unleashed on people, mercilessly tearing them apart.
Still, there were no casualties, but not a single person came out of it well.
The price of provoking a girl’s feelings was painfully steep.
In the end, the scumbags, including Erte, were left bleeding on the ground.
“….”
After finishing everything, the girl picked up the fallen diary.
Though she retrieved what she wanted, she couldn’t seem to relax at all.
“Haha…, Hahaha….”
She looked at me with a hollow laugh.
It was as if she was resigned to the end of her life.
Then she slowly approached me and grabbed my shoulder.
“Please….”
With a pitiful expression, she said,
“Just forget everything.”
I was almost brought to tears watching her.
*
We left the scumbags’ hideout and arrived at our residence.
Even though it was relatively late when we arrived, everyone actively welcomed Luska.
Kent pointed out that her expression seemed a bit strange, but Luska pretended not to hear.
She really didn’t want to discuss that incident.
I didn’t want to bring it up either; it would only shorten our fun time.
“What did we do? We ate some super delicious bugs!”
When I asked Mary, who accompanied us, I got no useful information.
“Do you want to try? They’re super tasty!”
Hmm…. It felt like the benefits would outweigh the risks more downsides.
After all, this was Mary we were talking about.
That’s just how Mary is.
After the welcoming ceremony ended, they headed back to the beach.
Dressed in swimsuits, they began splashing around, showcasing their charms.
Especially Crona, who got jealous of Luska’s figure and rubbed her face against her, only to receive a flick on the head in return.
Senior Trisha also tried to approach with the same intentions but almost found herself subjected to water torture.
Aside from that, she blended well with the other children.
She wasn’t inherently a violent girl.
She was just slightly tainted by the poor environment she grew up in. Now, with her heart purified, she returned to her true self.
“Help our child!”
“Kya! Our child…!”
Several kids had secretly stolen a small boat and drifted far into the sea.
They lost the oars needed to steer back and couldn’t return.
To make matters worse, a group of fish-like monsters was closing in on the boat where the children were.
That location was known as a monster hotspot, which vacationers were strictly advised to avoid.
“Mom!!”
“Save me!!”
Curiosity got the better of them, and the children broke the beach rules by stealing a boat.
Two of them seemed to be sisters, and the younger girl was hugging her older sister tightly.
Fish monsters with sharp teeth were approaching from the other side.
Only then did the older sister realize her actions were wrong.
“Sister…!”
“Eek!”
But it was too late to regret.
The monsters had already jumped up right in front of the boat, baring their massive teeth toward the sisters.
She felt as if her actions were going to cost her sister her life.
The older sister closed her eyes tightly, crying in regret.
Keeeek!!-
Kieeeek!!-
At that moment, the shrill cries of piranha-like monsters echoed.
Then, someone climbed onto the boat, their hands gripping the monsters’ sharp teeth to hold them back.
“Are you okay?”
Luska, who had blocked the monsters’ attacks, asked the kids.
The children stared at her in dazed silence.
At that moment, other monsters appeared, flanking to attack them.
With her superhuman strength, Luska lifted the monster she was holding and threw it at the one attacking from the left.
The two monsters collided heads, and blood burst forth, while she kicked the monster attacking from the right, shattering all its teeth and crumpling its face like a tin can.
Without any magic or fancy techniques, she obliterated three monsters with pure martial prowess.
Kieeek!!-
But it wasn’t over just because she took down three.
She sensed a distinct smell indicating that a group of their companions was swimming toward her from the sea.
Sure enough, many piranha-like monsters were heading straight for them.
“Yikes!”
“What do we do, sister!”
As the kids trembled at the sight, Luska said,
“Don’t worry.”
In her hand, a double-edged sword appeared.
Luska bent the sword halfway, transforming it into a bow and infused her aura into the arrow as she pulled back.
Then came the moment the bowstring snapped—
Chwaaa—!
A purple trajectory sliced through the sea and air, creating a massive splash.
The arrows swallowed all the monsters forming fox shapes that were rushing at them.
With a giant explosion, the monsters were incinerated.
As the aftermath sent droplets flying like rain, wet Luska looked at the children and said,
“Don’t act recklessly next time. Got it?”
Despite her formidable appearance, her gentle tone left the kids speechless.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Thank you so much! Really, thank you!”
The children’s mother sincerely expressed her gratitude to Luska.
She repeated her thanks not once, but twice.
“Thank you….”
“And I’m sorry….”
The kids apologized to the beach resort manager and thanked Luska.
Since the two kids were sisters, Luska felt a peculiar emotion.
Maybe it was because she was reminded of her own past when she blindly acted recklessly, causing trouble for her younger sibling.
Luska then told the older girl,
“Make sure to cherish your younger sister.”
When the older girl replied with a “Yes,” Luska lovingly tousled the children’s hair.
With her long black hair and red eyes, she could seem like a scary combination, but in reality, she appeared beautiful in the eyes of the kids.
Although her pitch-black appearance could be intimidating, her essence was purer than anyone else’s.
“How strange? That area is supposed to be enclosed with iron bars so no one can enter.”
At that moment, the manager scratched his head, puzzled.
The kids weren’t the only ones responsible for getting into that area; the manager shared some blame as well.
So when Luska asked the children about it, they replied,
“There was an opening in the iron bars.”
“We got in through there.”
Upon hearing that, the manager’s head filled with question marks.
Setting out to confirm the matter immediately, he left.
In the meantime, Luska once again heard the mother and children call out.
“Thank you so much!”
“Thank you, sister!”
*
Just before it started getting dark, the horizon was painted with sunset colors.
I sat beneath a rock, swinging a fishing rod toward the sea.
As the hook sank into the vividly red sea, it left ripples behind.
I took a deep breath, savoring the serene atmosphere.
“Haaah~”
My body and mind felt at ease.
Before catching any fish, this was one of the greatest joys of fishing.
‘Of course, that’s not the case with commercial fishing.’
And it seemed the girl approaching me wanted to feel this vibe too.
“Are you going to fish too?”
“Yeah….”
Luska stood next to me, holding a beginner’s fishing rod.
The black bikini suited her hair color, highlighting her well-balanced figure.
Though she wasn’t as impressive as Mary when she transformed, the mountainous curves accentuated her physique nicely.
With a red flower adorned in her hair, she looked even more vibrant than before.
“What’s that decoration?”
“Senior Trisha gave it to me. I don’t know what it matches….”
She seemed unaware of her own beauty.
If this were a place filled with men, Luska would surely have ranked first as a hunting target.
“I’ll sit next to you.”
“Okay.”
Luska seated herself and immediately cast her line.
The hook flew farther than I had thrown mine, with a whoosh.
Just a casual toss sent it flying that far; if she had thrown it hard, it might have reached the horizon.
“You were amazing earlier.”
“What… what do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb. I watched the whole thing from start to finish.”
Not just me, but the other students were also watching as she rescued the young sisters.
Surely, all of them were moved by Luska’s heroic actions.
Eventually, Luska, who had resigned herself, spoke about it.
“To be honest…, it was my first time experiencing something like that. Helping someone who isn’t related to me felt really strange.”
She had lived her life dreaming only of survival and revenge.
While that had polluted her heart, now her purified essence had returned to its natural state.
Saving those children showcased her true self.
“And I’m not used to hearing words of thanks.”
“You just have to get used to it from now on.”
“….”
Always maintaining a cold expression was merely a remnant of her past.
Like a merciless detective who might interrogate a suspect but would probably end up crying over their sad story.
That was Luska’s original heart.
She even had a shy side that hid secrets.
“About that diary….”
“Don’t you dare spill it!”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Luska cut me off.
In that moment, her hostility, learned from a dirty environment, showed itself blatantly.
The murderous look in her eyes warned me that saying any more would lead to my demise.
“Fine, just stop growling.”
“Hmph!”
This time, she puffed out her cheeks in apparent disappointment.
I felt like poking her, but I might break a finger if I did.
“But about the diary. Is everything true?”
I asked as I reeled in a catch.
And just as I cast the line again, Luska’s reply came.
“That is….”
She struggled to find the words.
It seemed it was such an embarrassing matter that she couldn’t easily speak up.
“It started last year. After living in the same room as you for a few days, I began writing it.”
That marked a point before the Mosria Incident occurred.
The changes in her began after the Nine-Tailed Fox Incident, and it suggested that a lot had changed since then.
“The difference between how you were when we first met and now is huge, right?”
“Well, there’s no need to explain why.”
She was frigid enough to be called the ultimate cold-blooded person.
Yet now she was writing her diary innocently. That was hard to imagine.
Unless it was a revenge plan.
“I guess I must have changed too. With everything unraveling, I’m acting differently now, doing things I never did before.”
Writing in a diary was one of them, but out of embarrassment, she’d hidden it thoroughly.
All the repression had faded, and her original emotions flourished freely.
In that sense, I said,
“It’s not strange at all.”
On the contrary, she should have been living that way all along.
She should have been more girl-like and sincere than anyone else.
“That’s just who you are.”
There was nothing to be ashamed of.
That was simply her true self.
She wasn’t yet comfortable reflecting her original self.
That’s why she felt embarrassed.
Without that embarrassment, I envied Mary, who freely displayed herself.
“Thank you.”
Luska rested her head on my shoulder, feeling at peace.
In that tranquil atmosphere, her heart seemed to melt, the sea shimmering gently.
Now, Luska had become someone inseparable from me.
As I patted her head, Luska showed a pleased expression.
She resembled a well-behaved puppy.
『Oh, come on, that’s a joke. So you were going to give me that heart-decorated fishing rod?』
At that moment, Muto suddenly materialized and started making a ruckus.
『Hearing about that diary made me wonder…. And I knew it! Hahaha!』
“This sly snake better shut up…, Ugh!”
Suddenly Luska covered my mouth.
“What do you mean?”
With a serious expression, she asked, and Muto began explaining all sorts of things.
In fact, Muto and I had found a fishing rod somewhere in the dormitory.
To be exact, Muto had stumbled upon it out of boredom while wandering around; I had nothing to do with it.
I simply… received it from Muto and was curious about it.
Then the words I had said back then came rushing back.
-Who would carry such a tacky fishing rod?
Those words… were now being relayed to Luska by Muto.
I tried to cover my mouth, but it was too late.
“….”
“….”
In the peaceful atmosphere, a strange silence fell.
The chill swept down my spine, and my hands began to sweat.
In the end, that damned snake ruined everything.
“Did you say it was tacky…?”
『And I told him to throw that rod away.』
“This damn bastard…, Ugh!”
『I was just following the direction he pointed.』
“Ugh!”
『Not to mention earlier this morning when we were trapped in the barrier. If this guy had manifested us, we could have easily slipped out. Don’t you agree?』
That was true.
Summoning Diora alone would have shaken not just the barrier but the very building itself.
However, I had been so caught up in the hilarious atmosphere that I couldn’t use my spirit.
“Ahh…, I see….”
Luska stared at me with a glacial expression.
The cute puppy had transformed into a hellish fiery Cerberus in an instant.
“You went through all that trouble to prepare something… How could you do this?”
“I didn’t know it was a gift!”
“Why didn’t you break the barrier earlier?”
“That’s….”
Um…. There’s no way to make excuses.
What should I do?
Is there any way to escape….
“Oh! It’s Angela!”
Yes, good!
If I can attract attention, I can summon Aisha high up in the sky…
Gotcha—
“Don’t lie. There’s no scent of Angela around; it smells only of you here.”
I’m doomed.
Having seen through my lie, Luska tightly wrapped her arm around my neck.
At this point, her sense of smell must have surpassed even high-tech detection.
“Don’t worry. I won’t get mad.”
“….”
“I just want to have a talk using my body.”
With that, Luska took me down.
Even now, her strength was incredible, and I couldn’t escape.
I wanted to ask the spirits for help, but it would be useless.
『Whew~ What a nice atmosphere~』
『Hehehe.』
『Grrrr~』
They might not be visible to ordinary folks, but they all wore satisfied expressions.
And so, I found myself helplessly pinned beneath Luska, feeling suffocated.
Someone help me….