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"Y-you… who are you?!"
After a brief moment of shock, the spirit looked at Asher again, this time with pure terror in its eyes.
This was the first time it had ever encountered someone capable of harming it.
The girl on the ground could only stare blankly at Asher, completely stunned.
Seeing both a human and a spirit frozen in disbelief, Asher felt a bit surprised himself.
Did the system really make this skill that flashy?
The effect was nothing like how it looked in the game.
Still, flashy or not, he'd made it in time. He'd stopped the spirit before it could kill a normal person.
As that thought crossed his mind, the familiar voice of the system fairy, Kagura, rang in his ear again.
[Ding!]
[First encounter with a vengeful spirit detected. Mission triggered.]
[Reward upon elimination: Ability unlocked. Spirit Sight.]
[Spirit Sight: Infuse spiritual power into the eyes, enhancing vision and allowing the user to see things normally invisible.]
Hearing that, Asher froze for a moment, then quickly understood.
Looks like he now had a very good reason to finish this.
With no hesitation left, he activated another system-granted skill.
Basic Technique.
The next second, Asher raised his right hand, fingers pressed together like a sword, and began chanting a spell that was hard to hear but carried an unmistakable sense of mystery.
A faint blue talisman formed in front of him, slowly taking shape.
When it solidified—
Shhhk!
His fingers snapped forward, pointing straight at the immobilized spirit.
The talisman tore through the air with a piercing sound, shooting toward its target.
"W-what…?"
The spirit barely had time to register the talisman flying at it.
Fear twisted its face. Its shocked words never finished.
The talisman slapped directly onto its forehead.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted, kicking up a powerful gust of wind that made it impossible to open one's eyes.
The girl on the ground instinctively raised her arm to shield her face, squeezing her eyes shut.
A few seconds later…
When the wind faded and she cautiously opened her eyes, what she saw left her stunned.
The vicious spirit that had been about to tear her apart was gone.
Completely gone.
Not even a trace remained.
There was no need to think hard about it.
That terrifying spirit had clearly been destroyed by the boy who appeared out of nowhere.
I think… I just met someone incredible…
That thought rose unbidden in her mind as she stared at the empty space ahead.
And just as she was still dazed, that same young voice spoke again, right beside her.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
"Huh…? Ah, y-yes! I'm fine!"
Snapping out of it, the girl hurriedly looked up.
Standing right in front of her now was Asher, looking down at her with concern.
Staring at Asher's handsome face and the way he was dressed, the girl went completely blank for a moment.
To be honest, this was the first time she'd ever seen a boy this good-looking.
Especially that long, flowing hair. It looked even softer and prettier than her own.
Paired with his tall, slender build and refined features, it didn't feel strange at all. Instead, it fit him perfectly.
He looked like someone who'd stepped straight out of ancient times.
And that wasn't even mentioning the onmyoji techniques he'd just used to exorcise the evil spirit.
In her eyes, Asher was instantly wrapped in a veil of mystery, irresistibly captivating.
"What are you staring at?"
Seeing her freeze up like her breathing had stopped, Asher frowned slightly.
His voice snapped her out of it.
"Ah… n-no, it's nothing…"
Once she realized how badly she'd zoned out, a faint blush crept onto her pale cheeks.
She tried to stand up.
But maybe it was because she'd been chased by an evil spirit and completely drained her strength, or maybe it was from the fall earlier. Either way, her legs wouldn't cooperate.
She barely made it halfway up before her knees gave out. She let out a small cry and collapsed again.
Luckily, Asher was right in front of her.
The moment he saw her legs go weak and her about to fall, he reacted instantly, reaching out and catching her.
"Didn't you say you were fine?"
Holding her soft body, his voice sounded right by her ear.
Her face instantly burned.
She rarely interacted with boys, and the second she fell into his arms, her whole body went weak.
"Well… um… I guess my strength hasn't fully come back yet…"
Her voice was quiet, a little embarrassed, a little pitiful.
Asher looked at her and hesitated. He'd originally planned to deal with the evil spirit, make sure she was okay, and then leave.
After all, it was getting late.
When the system finished binding, it didn't just give him a language pack. It also provided him with an identity and a background.
So even though he'd transmigrated into this strange, mixed-up world, at least he had a place to stay.
But seeing how weak she looked now, would it really be okay to just leave her here?
"…Forget it."
Asher shook his head, then scooped her up in his arms and glanced around.
When he spotted a bench by the roadside not far away, he carried her over.
He set her down on the bench and sat beside her to rest as well.
Even though he was an onmyoji now, rushing over here and using his skills still took a toll on his body.
The night was quiet. This area was pretty remote, and there were barely any cars passing by, making it feel even more silent.
After a while, once she'd recovered a bit, the girl cautiously turned her head toward Asher and spoke.
"Um… th-thank you for saving me…"
Asher didn't make a big deal out of it. If she hadn't screamed earlier, he wouldn't have found the evil spirit so quickly anyway.
"It's nothing. Just a small favor."
"Uh… I mean, still…"
No matter how you looked at it, this was saving her life.
Even though she didn't know who Asher really was, her gratitude came straight from the heart.
"By the way, I don't know your name yet."
"My name is Yotsuya Miko… what about you?"
"....."