"How are we supposed to move all this?" Kawashima Toya asked, sounding a bit overwhelmed. "Both rooms are packed with books. There's no way the three of us can carry it all."
"It is a challenge," Hanazono Yurine agreed, tapping her chin. "Maybe we could make several trips? If we're careful, we might avoid notice."
I need a better way.
Toya's gaze landed on Nyaruko. A knowing glint flashed in his eyes. The solution was right in front of him.
This version of Nyaruko was almost identical to her anime counterpart, which meant she likely possessed the same reality-bending abilities—specifically, the bottomless storage capacity of her skirt.
"Nyaruko, stop standing around. Use that infinite storage of yours and pack all these books away," Toya commanded.
"Wait, what? I don't have a four-dimensional pocket!" Nyaruko stammered, looking confused as she was ushered into the archive room. "Fine, I'll do it. If Darling insists... but I'm actually a bit annoyed now."
Nyaruko's eyes fixed on Toya with a look of mock betrayal. She acted like a jilted lover, yet she always obeyed his first whim.
The black-and-white checkered dress she wore began to ripple with an unnatural life. A distorting, eldritch power radiated outward, scanning the surroundings.
"Don't you dare get any slime on Darling's books. Just pack them neatly."
The squares of her skirt began to warp. Each black and white tile became a doorway to a void of infinite space. One by one, the massive bookshelves and every single ancient text were vacuumed into the fabric of her dress.
Watching this, Toya's expression sharpened. He quickly pulled Yurine to the side to ensure she wasn't caught in the wake of the chaotic energy.
"Is there some kind of danger?" Yurine asked, looking puzzled.
"Very much so," Toya replied seriously.
The power Nyaruko was using was undeniably eldritch—distorted, chaotic, and infectious. He didn't want Yurine to be mentally scarred by witnessing the raw, unmasked nature of an Outer God.
As he shielded Yurine, Toya realized he had completely forgotten about Jashin-chan's "corpse" lying on the floor.
Distorted, nonsensical whispers began to echo around the demon's body, as if trying to wake her from her temporary slumber.
Within seconds, Jashin-chan—who usually took at least thirty minutes to regenerate—suddenly convulsed.
What is this power? It's trying to eat me? To erode my soul? Who do you think I am?! I am the great Jashin-chan!
With a mental roar, she shattered the maddening whispers swirling in her mind.
"Hm?" Toya looked over at the body, sensing a sudden surge of life.
Sure enough, Jashin-chan snapped into a sitting position. Her eyes were deep, unsettling, and filled with a strange void. A dark, shadowy aura, unmistakably eldritch, coiled around her like a shroud.
"I forgot about her," Toya muttered, rubbing his forehead.
He had been so focused on Yurine's safety that he'd left the "dead" demon right in the path of Nyaruko's leaking energy. Now, Jashin-chan had been contaminated. She wasn't her usual self anymore.
"I guess I'll have to put her down for real this time," Toya said coldly, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. "Yurine, close your eyes. Jashin-chan has been corrupted. I need to take her out."
"Corrupted?" Yurine stood frozen. "We're in Seimei's tomb. Where would corruption even come from?"
She was skeptical at first, but then she heard it—the faint, maddening whispers and the overwhelming pressure of an Outer God. There was no mistaking that feeling.
Toya drew Murasame, locking onto Jashin-chan's Point of Death. He prepared to end it in a single strike. But just as he was about to move, Jashin-chan let out an excited shout.
"Ohhh! This is it! This power... it's incredible!"
"My regeneration has evolved into something legendary! My body is tougher, and my soul is overflowing with strength!"
"And look at this aura! It's the dark energy that only a true final boss deserves! Does it even have a mental pollution effect? Amazing!"
"I feel like I could tear Toya and Yurine apart with my bare hands in this state!"
Jashin-chan was completely intoxicated by the new power, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Toya and Yurine were standing right there.
She still has her personality? Or is the new eldritch consciousness just faking it?
A system interface appeared before his eyes, answering his silent question.
[Name: Jashin-chan (Evil God Form)]
[Level: Expert (High-tier Seal active)]
[Description: A super-enhanced version of Jashin-chan infused with eldritch energy. While exceptionally powerful, her original strength remains sealed, preventing her from reaching her full potential.]
Is she the secret protagonist of this era or something?
Toya couldn't help but criticize her in his mind. It was one thing for her to absorb angelic halos, and another to force a transformation with a Kamen Rider belt. But to absorb raw eldritch energy without losing her mind? That was just ridiculous.
Jashin-chan's blonde hair fluttered in the stagnant air, beginning to turn a deep, abyssal black. She looked like a twisted parody of a Super Saiyan.
She slowly turned around, carrying the presence of a cold, ruthless demon king. In that instant, the maddening whispers in the room intensified a hundredfold.
Yurine's body trembled. She felt as though she were being plunged back into the freezing vacuum of space. However, the sensation was weaker this time—more of a localized chill than a total mental collapse.
Jashin-chan's deep, dark eyes fixed on Toya—the man who had tricked her and caused her "death" countless times today.
"Toya, bet you didn't expect this. I, Jashin-chan, have returned with power beyond your imagination."
Toya let out a light chuckle. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you could suppress that kind of corruption."
He genuinely meant it. He had seen a "protagonist" named Aki Tomoya fail to handle even a fraction of this presence, ending up as a half-baked monster.
Jashin-chan, however, had mastered it. She had kept her sanity while making all that power her own.
"Flattery won't save you."
Jashin-chan spoke with cold authority, though a hint of excitement betrayed her refined face. She clearly enjoyed the praise. She began to walk slowly toward Toya, her voice crackling with suppressed anticipation.
"Our long-standing grudge ends here, Toya! Yurine!"
"Show me everything you've got. Let me test the limits of this new form on your broken bodies!"
The chaotic, shadowy aura around her exploded outward, taking the shape of a massive, fanged demon.
The eldritch whispers reached a fever pitch as the shadows lunged forward, hungry for a soul to devour.
.....
Abe no Seimei's Inner Shrine.
Toya watched the approaching shadow with a calm hand on his hilt.
"If you're looking for a test, I'd be happy to oblige. Just don't cry when I break this form too."