Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 237

Chapter 237: The Trial of the Oni Shrine Maiden

We departed from the Fourth Village and set off for the Fifth Village.

At the same time, I informed Setsuna that a new quest had been added.

“To save your younger sister, Rasetsu, you need to awaken as a shrine maiden. It’s a typical game scenario, but apparently, you can meet the condition by performing a “Waterfall Ritual” at the next village, the Fifth Village.”

“…The condition set by the gods for awakening is “Waterfall Ritual”, huh? If it means I can save my sister, I’ll endure being struck by the waterfall for hours on end!”

“Yeah, it’s great to see you motivated. But make sure you pace yourself. If you’re too exhausted when it counts, you won’t be able to save Rasetsu.”

“R-right. I’ll keep that in mind. So, is that the only condition?”

“Ah, about that… there’s another problem.”

While Setsuna looked tense, I glanced at the semi-transparent quest window.

Reading the quest conditions listed there, I couldn’t help but grimace at how demanding they were.

One of the requirements was to “Protect the Oni Princess during her “Waterfall Ritual” for one hour.”

Guarding quests were my weakness. The duration, neither too long nor too short, seemed reasonable on paper. However, according to a message I’d just received from my mentor, one of the high-ranking officers of the escaped Dark Believer faction was discovered to be hiding in the Fifth Village.

My mentor was on their way here, but they believed I would likely encounter the officer first due to the timing. That’s why they sent a warning.

In other words, there was a high chance this officer would show up as the boss character for the escort quest.

I opened the memo I’d been using lately, which contained information about the enemy faction gathered by my mentor and others.

The Dark Believer, enemies of adventurers, are a dangerous group operating in the shadows of the world, centered around a cult leader who pledges loyalty to the Demon Lord.

My mentor had already encountered and taken down two of the three high-ranking officers in special quests. This final officer was the last one remaining. According to my mentor, this one was “exceptionally strong.” Based on their words, it’s likely this officer is either the leader of the Helheim Knights or an even more powerful figure.

When my mentor deems someone strong, it usually means they’re overwhelmingly powerful by our standards.

Can I really protect Setsuna while facing an opponent like that…?

“For formation, we’ll have Shio and Inori guard Setsuna, while the rest of us handle incoming enemies. Since we don’t know how many enemies will appear, it’s going to be tough to complete the quest unless I take on the officer alone.”

We discussed and decided on the detailed formation together.

The frontliners would be me, Kuro, and Rou, with Shin and Inori providing long-range support as the three of us took down enemies in a classic setup.

If the officer appeared, I’d engage them directly, with Shin stepping forward if needed, as they could handle both close-range and mid-range combat with their spear.

Normally, it would just be Kuro and me, so having more than two people in both the front and rear lines felt like a luxury.

The difficulty of a unique quest is probably intended to be tackled with a full party.

The fact that we’ve been defaulting to the combination of the princess, myself, and Kuro this whole time was odd to begin with.

Not that we chose to do it willingly.

Shin and Rou had been caught up exploring caves with Yoru, Inori had only recently rejoined us, and Shio, after leaving her unit under someone else’s care, was now helping us out this time.

Reflecting on how Kuro and I managed to handle two separate battlefields on our own back then, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of gratitude toward my companions now.

“Sora, what’s up?”

“Hmm? I was just thinking about how Kuro and I make a pretty strong team.”

“???!”

The moment I said what came to mind, Kuro turned red and looked down, flustered.

…Ah, this is bad. This kind of reaction will only invite teasing from the others.

Blurting out my thoughts without thinking, especially in front of everyone, was careless, even more so than usual. I hurried to explain myself, but before I could, my sister spoke up in an exasperated tone.

“Big brother, are you okay? Are you still tired?”

“Sora and Kuro really do get along well, don’t they?”

“Hey, hey, hey, cut it out with the lovey-dovey stuff all of a sudden.”

“So warm and fuzzy! It’s enough to make even me blush!”

The teasing came relentlessly, one quip after another, along with knowing smiles and warm stares from the others. Even Setsuna gave me a slightly incredulous look, as if thinking, This guy’s something else…

“…Sora, you idiot.”

“Kuro too?!”

And just like that, I was completely outnumbered and left to endure the teasing until we reached our next destination.

……………………………

The Fifth Village wasn’t flat. It was built in a large basin, with houses clustered together.

From the steep cliffs surrounding it, water continuously cascaded down like waterfalls, pooling to form a spring.

At a glance, it felt like one of those hidden paradises often featured on TV.

At the base of the waterfall, a platform resembling an altar had been constructed. Without a doubt, this would be the spot where Setsuna would undergo her waterfall meditation.

As we disembarked from the carriage, we were greeted by the village chief and a gathering of villagers.

“Princess Setsuna, we are honored by your arrival. We have heard from Princess Rasetsu about your coming.”

“Village chief of the Fifth Village, what did Rasetsu say?”

“Yes, Princess Setsuna, she asked us to prepare for your waterfall meditation. We have already made all the arrangements, including the ceremonial attire and the ritual site.”

At the village chief’s signal, a group of women brought forward a pure white traditional Japanese outfit—a sacred white robe.

Setsuna accepted the outfit and, escorted by the women, disappeared into a royal building to change. After some time, she returned. However, due to ritual restrictions, she wore only the white robe without any weapons or armor.

“What about your katana…?”

“During the waterfall meditation, I have to remain in continuous meditation. There is a barrier spell that can repel some attacks, but it won’t work if the enemy gets too close.”

“So if they manage to close the distance, it’s game over. Got it, simple and clear.”

“Exactly. I’m entrusting my life to you all.”

“Understood. That’s quite the motivating statement. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone lay a finger on you, Setsuna.”

“I’m counting on you, Sora.”

With that, we moved toward the wooden platform near the waterfall.

The sheer volume of water cascading from the cliff was overwhelming when viewed up close, leaving me at a loss for words.

A quick sweep with my Insight skill revealed that there seemed to be only one likely point of entry for enemies. If they attacked us from above with long-range weapons, there wouldn’t be much we could do, but I hoped they wouldn’t go to such lengths. If they did, we had Inori, who could counter-snipe if needed.

As everyone took their positions, Shio, who was in charge of Setsuna’s final line of defense, smiled and spoke confidently.

“I’ll protect her here. You can count on me.”

“…When we were kids, Rasetsu said something similar once. That time, we both accidentally wandered outside the village and ended up surrounded by monsters,” Setsuna recalled, her expression bitter as she approached the platform.

The moment she stepped under the waterfall, her body was drenched instantly, and her soaked ceremonial attire triggered the Slow status effect.

This halved Setsuna’s movement speed, and aside from the barrier, she had no defense. If the enemies targeted her, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

As the water poured over her, she said one thing before beginning her prayers.

“That girl once managed to guard my back perfectly. That’s why I have faith in you, Shio, and in all of you.”

She closed her eyes, clasped her hands in prayer, and stood motionless.

The power of the shrine maiden activated, forming a barrier fueled by her energy. A glowing hexagram magic circle appeared around her.

As the quest initiation message appeared in front of us, the village echoed with the sound of alarm bells signaling an enemy attack.

Alright, time to wipe out the enemies coming our way!

Drawing my silver sword, I charged toward an enemy cloaked in a black robe and wearing a mask, activating my skill ?Sonic Sword?.