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 242
Chapter 242: Setsuna and Shio
“You must’ve been utterly exhausted. Withstanding that relentless assault in such a short span. It’s no surprise, really…”
Inside the swaying carriage, Setsuna quietly observed Sora and Kuro, who had both fallen asleep out of sheer fatigue.
The other members had returned to the celestial realm for rest, leaving only the three of them, Sora, Kuro, and Shio, who remained awake beside her.
Thanks to the efforts of the six who had held back the enemy’s advance throughout the quest, Setsuna had emerged unscathed.
Normally, trials involved hordes of attacking monsters, but this time the adversaries were no ordinary foes. They were Dark Believers of exceptional cunning.
Undoubtedly the strongest enemy any shrine maiden had ever faced, failure would have been inevitable for anyone less skilled.
Yet, Sora and the others overcame this desperate situation through seamless coordination and undeniable strength.
What’s more, even the renowned Sword Saint, whose name was known across nations alongside the famed Silver Enchanter, had appeared in their time of need.
Setsuna glanced at the silver-haired girl sleeping beside her.
Resting against her partner, Kuro mumbled, pale and distressed,
“K-Kuro, Kuro, her eyes… the highlight’s fading…”
“Seeing them like this, it’s hard to believe how brave they were just moments ago,” Setsuna murmured with a faint smile, reaching out gently.
When her fingers lightly brushed Sora’s cheek, his body gave a startled jolt, as though reliving something unsettling in her dreams.
From what she could gather, it seemed that she was suffering in her dream, tormented by a jealous Kuro.
This only reinforced just how deeply Kuro’s presence meant to her.
It was just as clear from their usual closeness that Kuro cared for Sora just as much.
“Adorable,” Setsuna muttered softly as she watched the two with a small smile.
“…And what about you, Shio? Don’t you need any rest?”
“I stayed by Princess Setsuna’s side until the demons showed up. Compared to the guys who were fighting on the frontlines and providing support, my burden wasn’t all that heavy.”
“Even holding off that monster’s attacks was a major feat in itself, though…”
Even with her eyes closed, Setsuna had been able to perceive the battlefield through her shrine maiden powers, so she knew the details of the fight.
When the ancient archdemon emerged, she had braced herself for the worst, even the possibility of total annihilation. Yet, despite the odds, they never gave up.
The name Gresil was one she had learned during her studies.
This monster, which had once devastated the forces of the Helheim underworld, a nation rivaling the Kingdom of Light, had single-handedly wiped out a third of its army during the ancient war between the Demon Lord’s army and the world’s nations.
Though greatly weakened by the Demon Lord Shaitan’s seal, Gresil still retained stats on par with a class-level Calamity.
The strain of enduring its attacks to protect the others must have been immense.
When Setsuna expressed this, Shio shook her head.
“No, I only managed because Shino saved me. I was reminded once again how much I still have to grow.”
“That person is truly beyond the norm…”
“Yeah, but I can’t keep relying on Shino all the time, you know? I need to at least be able to protect myself.”
“To protect yourself… I see.”
“By the way, Princess Setsuna, did anything happen during your waterfall meditation?”
“D-During the waterfall meditation!? N-n-nothing at all happened!”
Setsuna, flustered by the sudden change in topic, shook her head frantically.
“Really?”
“Y-Yeah, if I had to say, the shrine maidens cheered me on, telling me to do my best!”
Half of what Setsuna had just told Shio was true. However, there was one truth buried in her words that she absolutely could not reveal.
During the waterfall meditation, as she closed her eyes, the trial she faced was a barrage of questions from the previous shrine maidens.
The topic? None other than, who she liked the most in her current party.
She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t possibly admit that she was engaged in a love discussion. How could she ever hold her head high and tell everyone?
Everyone else had been fighting for their lives, quite literally.
Even without directly witnessing it, the sounds of battle and the fervor of their struggle had clearly conveyed that much.
And yet, here she was having a love talk. If Shio and the others found out, how would they react?
Considering Shio’s personality, she wouldn’t feel disappointed or let down, though she might be surprised.
But one thing was certain: she would definitely tease her about it.
As if she had sensed something, Shio, now sporting a mischievous grin, leaned in to press her further.
“Really? That’s all that happened? You’ve got a look on your face that says otherwise.”
“It’s just your imagination… Haha, those Oni shrine maidens were really kind-hearted, you know?”
“Hmm, so you’re sticking to your story, huh? In that case, try this!”
“Nyah!?”
Shio, ensuring Setsuna couldn’t escape, grabbed her and lightly pressed her fingers against Setsuna’s sides.
Not too strong, not too soft—
It was as gentle as touching a newborn’s skin.
This was one of the secret techniques Shio had developed with her friends to deal with her brother.
K-U-S-U-G-U-R-I (Tickling Technique).
A tingling sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced coursed through Setsuna, leaving her squirming and completely drained on the spot.
“E…fweh?”
Her body had no strength left at all.
It was just a light touch, so what in the world had happened?
Oni typically have high resistance to status ailments. Even if someone used a skill on her, it wouldn’t take effect so quickly.
“S-Shio-dono, w-what did you just do-nyaa…”
Setsuna, bewildered, looked at Shio, who wore a mischievous, almost villainous expression as she spoke.
“I can tell the perfect way to tickle someone just by touching them. Since Princess Setsuna is a bit sensitive, I didn’t apply much pressure—I tickled you gently.”
“T-tickled? Touched…? Huh?”
“Hehehe, with this, I can render you powerless in no time.”
“Noooo…”
“Now then, confess what really happened during your trial. Or would you rather endure this tickling on your sides again? Think you can stay sane through that?”
Her eyes glinted with a suspicious light.
Her lines were straight out of a villain’s playbook, but in reality, all she was doing was tickling.
Licking her lips playfully, Shio leaned in and whispered in a sultry tone.
“Don’t worry, whatever you tell me here, I won’t share it with my brother and the others.”
“…Really?”
“Of course! I’d never break a promise.”
If someone as trustworthy as Shio went that far, perhaps it was better to just come clean.
After all, just a single bout of that tickling had left her in such a state.
The thought of enduring that repeatedly sent a shiver of dread down her spine.
“W-well… actually…”
Ensuring no one else could hear, Setsuna confessed everything about what happened during the waterfall meditation, the trial she faced, and the choices she made.
“I see… I think that’s perfectly fine,” Shio said with a warm smile.
“Th-that’s a bit too casual, isn’t it?”
“But isn’t it just the way it is? What’s important now is whether you’ll gather the courage to express your feelings or quietly move on and let it go.”
“I…”
“I can’t tell you which is the best choice. If you confess, you both might get hurt, and things could fall apart. But there’s one thing I can say for sure.”
Shio looked at her with kind, unwavering eyes.
“—Just don’t make a choice you’ll regret.”
For a few moments, Setsuna remained silent. Looking into Shio’s eyes, she could see the sincerity in her words.
“…People call you his younger sister, but are you sure you’re not Sora-dono’s older sister instead?”
“Hehehe, people in our neighborhood used to say the same thing: ‘The younger sister seems more reliable’.”
“Whoever said that must have keen observation skills. You were so cool, I almost fell for you.”
“Oh my, you’re welcome to fall for me if you’d like.”
Shio finished with a dazzling wink, prompting Setsuna to let out a wry chuckle.
As the two continued their girl talk,
“Yaaawn… Hmm? Did something happen between you two?”
Sora, now awake, tilted his head curiously at the sight of Setsuna and Shio’s friendly exchange.
However, instead of answering, the two girls merely chuckled to themselves.
After all, they now shared the same secret.