West or east—we had to decide which way to go before anything else. “……” Theresia had spent the last few moments staring off into the east. Something must’ve been on her mind. “…Oh, I know. Suzuna, do you think now might be a good moment to activate Oracle?” I suggested. “You think perhaps the message could guide us in the right direction? All right, I’ll try my best.” “Whoaaa… Suzu, you just keep getting more and more like a true priestess… D’ya think you might upgrade to, like, a Super Shrine Maiden one of these days?” “A Seeker can, in fact, evolve into a more advanced iteration of their occupation after fulfilling certain conditions, so it may indeed be possible,” Seraphina replied, answering a question I was sure Misaki had meant in jest. What would the advanced iteration of my job be? Does that even exist? I hadn’t met anyone who’d told me up front that they’d reached that level of their profession. It’s possible I already knew one or two who had: District Five Commander Dylan and Kozelka would be my first guesses. “Arihito, I’m ready.” After activating Salt Laying, Suzuna had sprinkled the white mineral on the ground in a circle. This step wasn’t included in the requirements for activating Oracle, but Suzuna apparently considered it only proper to do so before asking to draw from the power of the gods. I nodded at her; after a brief moment of prayer, Suzuna clapped her hands together loudly. ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated ORACLE Received DIVINE REVELATION from ARIADNE “O beloved recipients of my grace, ye wandering souls, I shall illuminate the path you must take.” Ariadne’s voice resounded loud enough for everyone in the party to hear. Then, as if embodying the message Ariadne wished to send, Suzuna pointed toward the east. “…Unlike Medium, this Oracle appeals to my divine elements,” the Hidden God told me privately. Her unfailingly conscientious explanations were always a great help. “I see… So basically, thanks to Suzuna, we can now call on another, new power of yours, right?” “There are aspects to my divinity which I cannot control. Indeed, I cannot predict what would occur should your devotion levels rise, or what phenomena that would catalyze. Neither can I foretell what potential capabilities I might acquire once you have assembled all my parts, for I have lost all my memories on these matters.” Lost—that reminds me of when Ariadne called herself a “discarded existence.” “I don’t know if we can bring back your memories, but maybe we can help restore some of your powers as we grow… At least, I hope so.” “Should attending your party stimulate change within me, I would gratefully recompense the favor.” Recently, I’d started to notice Murakumo and Alphecca gradually expressing a greater range of emotion; now it seemed a similar shift had begun to soften Ariadne compared to when we met. “Atobe, what’s your call? Want to follow the Oracle’s advice?” “Yes, let’s head east. Be on your guard, everyone. Let’s go.” “““Okay!””” “Arf!” Barking her agreement with the others, Cion made for the front line with Seraphina. I activated Morale Support once, and Igarashi’s shoulders seemed to relax. Abandoning her fearful crouch, she straightened up tall, then turned around to face me, striking a powerful pose as if to say, I’m okay now. “Listen up, everyone—I’m going to use Mist of Bravery, just to be on the safe side,” she announced. “Ooh, bustin’ out your sexy perfume?!” “I-it’s not that kind of skill…” Looking somewhat embarrassed, Igarashi nevertheless activated Mist of Bravery. A plume of vapor enveloped our party before fading away, leaving us with a one-time buffer against Fear. Wondering whether monsters capable of inflicting the paralyzing status would appear and validate our hunch, we kept walking around the lake, the grasses at our feet steadily growing taller and taller. “Whoaaa!” Misaki yelped. “…I—I think I just saw some, like, bird fly off. What was that?” “Misaki, want to hold my hand?” Suzuna kindly offered. “Yeshhh. Kyoukie-poo, wanna get in on this?” “Y-you know…you really should take this a little more seriously. We are in District Five, after—” But before Igarashi could finish her sentence, a sense of dread that was equally shocking yet impossible to ignore shook me to my core. Not even Theresia’s Scout Range Extension 1 or my Hawk Eyes caught this… No way it’s this hard to stop monsters in District Five labyrinths from attacking first! ♦Current Status♦ > UNKNOWN ENEMY activated COLD HAND > THERESIA activated LOOKOUT 1 > THERESIA activated SHADOW STEP Evaded COLD HAND “……!” “S-seriously, what is that…?!” Leaving nothing but her afterimage behind, Theresia dodged the attack—one unleashed by a hazy, half-translucent figure. “Madoka, stay hidden!” I quickly ordered. “O-okay…!” Bringing up the tail end of our group, Madoka activated Hide as I asked. My skills automatically applied only to the eight people in my party. Since Madoka was the ninth member of our group, I’d have to use Other Assist for my support to reach her, and the inevitable time lag could mean all the difference in a pinch. In that case, I figured it was better to have her hide and wait for a moment when she could contribute to the battle in some way to gain experience as well. “Atobe!” “……!” A chill ran through my body, making every last hair stand on end. I instinctively jumped up at Igarashi’s warning. The very next instant, that mysterious, semi-transparent something shot out of the ground in the very spot where I’d been standing. Desperate to shake off this mysterious foe, I activated the power in my Hannya’s Greaves. ♦Current Status♦ > UNKNOWN ENEMY activated BODY SWAP > ARIHITO activated YOSHITSUNE’S LEAP Evaded BODY SWAP > UNKNOWN ENEMY revealed to be ICE REMNANT A Kicking through the air, I jumped away mere seconds before the half-translucent mist sliced through the last spot I’d been. Based on the name my license listed, I deduced it must be a phantom-type monster. Body Swap… Don’t tell me it was trying to possess me? What kind of sick joke is that…?! “Watch your step, everyone! It attacks from the ground! And it’s not just one… Misaki, jump—now!” “J-jump…?! Eeek!” “Arooo!” ♦Current Status♦ > ICE REMNANT B activated BODY SWAP > CION activated EMERGENCY WITHDRAWAL Target: MISAKI > MISAKI evaded BODY SWAP Cion raced over to Misaki, caught her gracefully mid-jump, and sprinted away. The next instant, a second Ice Remnant shot out of the ground to attack. “They’re not just under the ground! Theresia!” “……!” ♦Current Status♦ > UNKNOWN ENEMY activated HARROWING BREEZE > THERESIA activated SHADOW STEP Evaded HARROWING BREEZE A phantom silhouette suddenly materialized behind Theresia and blew some sort of gas toward her—she managed to evade it, but since she’d already activated Shadow Step once before, her speed drastically fell. Harrowing…I’m pretty sure that means scary in English. I guess this kind of enemy is gonna try to get us with classic ghost status ailments. “Not on my watch!” Elitia shouted. ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA activated SONIC BLADE > ELITIA activated SLASH RIPPER No effect on UNKNOWN ENEMY “Grrh…!” Elitia groaned in frustration. Physical attacks wouldn’t work on ghostly monsters; Elitia almost certainly knew that, but she’d slashed out to intercept the monster from doubling down on Theresia. And yet, the moment the enemy evaded her attack, a blurry mist enveloped Elitia’s blade. ♦Current Status♦ > UNKNOWN ENEMY activated INVISIBLE SPELL Sealed ELITIA’s BLOSSOM BLADE “Th-that thing… It put a lock on my skill…!” Elitia cried. The monster had taken her most powerful skill out of the equation before she even had the chance to use it. Were enemies that struck with such devastating skills at first sight the norm here? If so, we evidently had undeniable menaces lurking behind every corner. How can we turn this around…? Ah, maybe magic bullets…! Jumping through the air once more with Yoshitsune’s Leap, I spun around and aimed my slingshot at the blurry figure that had just slipped through Elitia’s attack. “Stop right there!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT: STUN Hit UNKNOWN ENEMY > UNKNOWN ENEMY revealed to be ALTARGEIST > ALTARGEIST was Stunned Stun state extended So magic bullets work…but they won’t make a real dent against a District Five enemy. And the Stun state will hold for only a second…! As soon as my feet touched the ground, I whipped out my license to check what information it had on the monsters. These three seemed to be the only ones nearby, but I didn’t find all the answers to my questions about their individual resistances. ♦Monsters Encountered♦ ICE REMNANT A Level 10 In Combat Impervious to Physical Attacks Weakness Unknown Dropped Loot: ??? ICE REMNANT B Level 10 In Combat Impervious to Physical Attacks Weakness Unknown Dropped Loot: ??? ALTARGEIST Level 11 In Combat Impervious to Physical Attacks Weakness Unknown Dropped Loot: ??? Weakness unknown… Physical attacks won’t hurt it, but we still don’t know what attributes can—Wait. ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated HAWK EYES Increased ability to monitor the situation Hawk Eyes didn’t solve the mystery of the monsters’ weak spots, but it did provide one vital insight: Our foes did not include Suzuna, who stood at Misaki’s side, among their targets. “Suzuna, use Sacred Words on me!” Shrine Maidens had a plethora of skills to deal with the phantasmic. With nothing but pop culture as a reference, I had the impression sacred powers were the best tools for dealing with unwanted ghosts. However, our enemies trained their sights on Suzuna the very moment I called out to her. They had apparently tried to avoid harming her but would still try to thwart her if she made a move. The two Ice Remnants held off anyone who tried to approach Suzuna while the third ghostly apparition homed in on her directly. “Suzuna…!” Igarashi cried. ♦Current Status♦ > ALTARGEIST activated RUSTY ERASION > KYOUKA activated MIRAGE STEP No effect against RUSTY ERASION “…Ah…!” Igarashi yelped in pain. “Igarashi…!” “Kyouka!” screamed Suzuna. The nebulous ghoul turned a shade of sickly pink—then, completely undeterred by her evasion skill, passed right through her body. ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA fell victim to special status ailment: ?Ghastly Plague “Krrh…uh… Aaah…” What’s happening to her…? No, first we’ve gotta focus on taking these damn things down…! Its rotting, peachy pallor next taking on a purple hue, the ghost set its sights on Suzuna. Before it could attack, I got in range to receive her Sacred Words. “Holy symbols that repel the wicked, grant me your power!” ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated SACRED WORDS Added HOLY attribute to ARIHITO’s weapons As soon as Suzuna’s spell left her lips, white letters surfaced on all my weapons. Then, the instant I reloaded my slingshot, the magic I’d expended in the previous shot returned. Thanks to Recovery Support 2, everyone in front of me also benefited from the same replenishing effect. ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated TACTICAL RELOAD All party members recovered magic As the skill restored all the magic points I’d used in my last Force Shot: Stun, I could feel it transmit the same benefit to all my party members as if I were literally reloading all their magic. “Arihito…! Tell us which one you want us to target…!” “You got it… Elitia, Theresia, let’s do this!” “Okay!” “……!” “Arihitooo, I’m goin’ in, too!” Misaki chimed in. Seraphina had her hands full antagonizing one of the Ice Remnants to keep it focused on her and away from us, so she couldn’t join in on this combo. Misaki whipped out her Jester’s Wildcards as soon as she slid off Cion’s back. Drawing back my slingshot, I saw the magic bullet sparkle with unusual, bright white energy—then, focusing on the one enemy Hawk Eyes illuminated for me, I loosed the shot. “Cooperation Support…Long-Range Attacks!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated COOPERATION SUPPORT 1 and ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT: STUN > ARIHITO activated COMMAND SUPPORT Now possible to guide party members’ targets > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT: STUN Hit ALTARGEIST Weak spot attack Inflicted Stun status Combined attack stage 1 > ELITIA activated SONIC BLADE > ELITIA activated DOUBLE SLASH Hit ALTARGEIST Weak spot attack Stun state extended Combined attack stage 2 > ELITIA activated an additional attack Hit ALTARGEIST Weak spot attack Stun state extended “OHHH… OHHH…” Thanks to Suzuna’s Sacred Words, the Stun status effect maintained its strength and prevented the enemy from hitting us with a counterattack—and our combo attack wasn’t done, either. “……!” But just as Theresia went to add to the chain, the Altargeist began flickering. ♦Current Status♦ > ALTARGEIST activated ALTERNATE Transformed to SPLIT DECISION status Sensing the combination meant nothing but bad news, the Altargeist squeezed in an evasion skill—and split in two before Theresia’s eyes. If she missed her next strike, the chain of attacks would break and put us at risk of counterattacks. Meanwhile, the status ailment the Altargeist had inflicted on Igarashi kept her out of commission. And yet Theresia did not back down. Brilliant light exploded from her hands; I could’ve sworn I saw blue butterflies fluttering around them. ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA activated BUTTERFLY FROLIC Increased number of attacks > THERESIA activated AZURE SLASH Hit ALTARGEIST 2 times Weak spot attack Stun state extended Combined attack stage 3 > ALTARGEIST was Burned “—!!” “OHHH…!” “D-do your thiiiing!” Graceful as a dancer, Theresia unleashed two virtually simultaneous flaming blue slashes to keep the chain going. As the Altargeist recoiled in pain, Misaki flung her cards at it and gave a battle cry. ♦Current Status♦ > MISAKI activated ICE JOKER Angered ALTARGEIST Inflicted ALTARGEIST with ice attribute weakness Stun state extended Combined attack stage 4 > Combined attack FROLIC, DOUBLE, AZURE, BURN, JOKER Inflicted additional damage Burn intensified > ALTARGEIST activated REVENANT REGRETS Canceled status ailments Obtained extra time > ALTARGEIST prepared to activate SARCOPHAGUS I saw two very different scenes unfold. In one, my friends and I rejoiced moments after defeating the Altargeist. But in the other—we were still as statues on the lake’s shore; every last one of us was dead. “Begone, ghost…!” ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA activated AURA SHIELD > ICE REMNANT A activated COLD HAND > SERAPHINA activated COUNTER TACKLE Hit ICE REMNANT A Weak spot attack ICE REMNANT A was Stunned > ICE REMNANT B activated QUICK SPELL for ALTARGEIST Shortened period until SARCOPHAGUS can be activated Seraphina slammed her aura-covered shield into Ice Remnant A, sending it flying; however, she could not stop the remaining ghoul. But I’d already made my move, preparing to take full advantage of the new weak spot Misaki’s wild cards had carved out for us. I activated Tactical Reload, drew my slingshot as fast as I could, and fired. “Freeze!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated TACTICAL RELOAD All party members recovered magic > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT: FREEZE > ALTARGEIST activated SARCOPHAGUS Sacrificed 2 ICE REMNANTS Only a split second separated my attack and the Altargeist’s—and cemented the winner of this battle. The ghoul’s flickering frame was engulfed in an unearthly aura; the next moment, the specter began emitting gray gas. But then: ♦Current Status♦ > FORCE SHOT: FREEZE hit ALTARGEIST Critical hit 2 weak spot attacks ALTARGEIST was completely Frozen ALTARGEIST was Stunned > SARCOPHAGUS activation canceled > Defeated 2 ICE REMNANTS > Seal on ELITIA lifted Made it…just in time…! Blessed by the Holy attribute and powered by my frost stone, my slingshot’s magic bullets froze the incorporeal monster into an icy statue, a blurry mass about my height. Then the two Ice Remnants evaporated into thin air like lifting fog, dropping two magic stones to the ground. I guess the Altargeist was sucking out all their energy to make its final move. “Haaah, haaaah…!” “Are you okay, Igarashi…?!” “Don’t… Atobe, stay away from me…!” “E-easy for you to say…! Suzu, can’t you exorcise Kyouka or something to heal her?” Misaki frantically asked. That’s when it hit me. “…That’s right! Suzuna, that skill might just work…!” One of her available skills, Purge, had the power to reduce the effects of any status ailments that constrained someone’s movements, if I remembered correctly. “It’s a gamble, but I have a feeling it should work against a phantom-type monster’s status ailment…,” I said. “Okay, I’ll try it…!” She readily agreed and went to acquire the skill—but then… Our heads all turned in the same direction. Unbeknownst to us amid the dank air that blew over the lakeshore, something had appeared—a mysterious, sword-wielding figure clad in tattered rags, its face hidden beneath a skull-like mask. “My license doesn’t say we’ve encountered a monster, but…,” I started. No matter how you sliced it, the vibes that thing sent our way were anything but friendly. Clasping her Scarlet Emperor, Elitia prepared to engage in battle. “Looks like it’s not going to let us past without a fight… On your guard, everyone.” “Cion, take Igarashi somewhere safe. Suzuna, please, try that Purge out on her,” I instructed, but the dangers to our party if we lingered too long divided from one another weighed heavily on my mind—we had to get out of here as soon as possible. At this point, only Seraphina, Elitia, Theresia, Misaki, and I could stand to fight. I felt bad for leaving Madoka hanging in her hiding spot, but I wanted to keep her free to help us recover after the battle. We stood five against one, but the unsettling stance this skull-masked figure took told me all too clearly we could not let our guard down against it. Part IV: The Skull Scarecrow Based on what we’d seen so far, there was a good chance this enemy belonged to a similar phantasmic genre. Elitia, having come to the same conclusion, called out to Suzuna before she left for Igarashi’s side. “Suzuna, could you cast Sacred Words on my blade?” “Yes, of course.” Suzuna activated Sacred Words, prepared to bless Elitia’s sword with the Holy attribute just in case. But then— ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated SACRED WORDS Target: ELITIA Ineffective on cursed weapons —the white inscription rose to the blade’s surface, only to fade and vanish without a trace. “…I’m so sorry, Ellie. Let me try again…” “No, it’s fine… This just means we’ve been on the right track. If I want to attack ghosts with this blade, I’ll have to rely on Arihito’s support.” “Yeah, you got it,” I said. “The Sacred Words should still be working on me, so I think I’ll be able to support you.” “Mr. Arihito, allow me to deflect the first blow and gauge the situation…” ♦Current Status♦ > ?SCARECROW activated LOWER STANCE Evasion rate and probability of landing critical hit increased “…It appears to employ a type of swordsmanship I’ve never seen before,” Seraphina noted cautiously. At first glance, the flimsy way the Scarecrow lifted its sword made it seem extremely vulnerable. But it had activated a skill—and that meant something hid up its ragged sleeve. “I hate to say it, but… looking at this thing reminds me of that…,” Elitia said, her face tight with nerves. She was right; the skull mask inevitably evoked the image of the grim reaper, which in turn dredged up memories of the Merciless Guillotine’s devastating skill that stripped away your soul with a single swipe—Soul-Stealing Scythe. “All righty, then… Arihito, I’m goin’ in with a Lucky Seven! Might not work, but it can’t hurt!” Fishing out two dice, Misaki placed one on each of her thumbs and flipped them in the air, catching them between her fingers as they fell. In that same flash, I shot Theresia a look. “Theresia, I’ve got a favor to ask. When Elitia goes in for the attack…” “……” “And the winning number is…!” ♦Current Status♦ > MISAKI activated DICE TRICK > MISAKI activated LUCKY SEVEN 1 Success > ?SCARECROW’S status ailment resistance fell She did it…! “All right, everyone, I’ll get us rolling! Watch out for how it times its attacks!” ““Okay!”” “……!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT: FREEZE Hit ?SCARECROW ?SCARECROW was Frozen > ?SCARECROW activated THE QUIET LIFE Canceled Frozen status Recovered status ailment resistance The Scarecrow froze, only to melt the very next second. Its body shone so brightly, you’d think it was a bright, sunny day instead of this hazy twilight. Looks like all the monsters have skills to cancel status ailments… We need something else to keep the Frozen status going long enough so it can’t undo it…! “Haaaaaah!” “Seraphina, I’ll support you!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT: STUN > SERAPHINA activated AURA SHIELD and DEFENSE FORCE > SERAPHINA activated SHIELD SLAM Target: ?SCARECROW > ?SCARECROW activated WILLOW WIND Deflected SHIELD SLAM “Wha—?!” Seraphina blurted out in surprise. The one-legged Scarecrow lithely twisted itself like a wispy willow branch to deflect all the force with which Seraphina had charged at it, shield readied to attack. “Ahhh!” Slowed by the weight of her shield as she tried to turn on the spot, Seraphina let out a spirited cry. Even that would not help her face the Scarecrow before its next move. “Get away from her…!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA activated SONIC BLADE > ?SCARECROW canceled attack > ELITIA activated BLOSSOM BLADE Target: ?SCARECROW > ?SCARECROW activated WILD SWORD DANCE Target: BLOSSOM BLADE “Ngh…!” Elitia shot toward the Scarecrow, instantly closing the distance between them and unleashing the first of her multistrike barrage. The masked specter repurposed the attack it had meant for Seraphina as defense, whipping the sword it wielded so loosely directly at her blade to drive it back. “Raaaah!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA continued BLOSSOM BLADE > ?SCARECROW continued WILD SWORD DANCE Target: BLOSSOM BLADE One after another Elitia rained down an onslaught of slashes at the Scarecrow, but the grim straw man alternated between the swords in either of its hands and rebuffed every one of her twelve strikes, including the extra attacks activated by her Dexterity Gauntlets. Cold light shone from the hollow eyes in its skull mask. Elitia stopped, as always momentarily unable to command her body into action after finishing her Blossom Blade. ♦Current Status♦ > ?SCARECROW activated VORPAL WEAPON Unlocked PILGRIM’S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD Its swords are transforming… Is that even possible…?! The two blades in the Scarecrow’s hands began to transform—one melded into the other to create a thick longsword, which then began to vibrate and emit a low moan. We’d never survive even one strike from this sword. My worry seemed to transmit telepathically to Theresia, who had completely concealed her presence as she patiently awaited her time to strike. “……!” ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA activated SNEAK ATTACK Damage to ?SCARECROW doubled > THERESIA activated BUTTERFLY FROLIC Increased number of attacks > THERESIA activated AZURE SLASH Hit ?SCARECROW 1 time Critical hit ?SCARECROW was Stunned “……!” With her Active Stealth, Theresia secured the perfect spot directly behind the Scarecrow and unleashed what should have been a series of decisive, deadly blows. And yet the straw man reacted just in time, dipping and dodging every slash Theresia threw at it so quickly, she left afterimages in her wake. Nevertheless, and with great effort, her last blow found its mark. “……” Blazing brightly with the blue flame stone’s fire, her sword left a gash in the Scarecrow’s mask. ♦Current Status♦ > ?SCARECROW deactivated VORPAL WEAPON > ?SCARECROW abandoned battle stance From the looks of it, Theresia’s slash hadn’t deeply injured the Scarecrow. Even so, it split its moaning double-edged sword back into two, sheathed them both, and silently stared at us. “…A-Arihitooo… Think it’s throwing in the towel…?” “If it’s really stopped fighting…there must be a reason. Maybe because Theresia landed a hit?” The hostility we’d all felt deep in our bones had disappeared entirely. Still tightly clutching the Scarlet Emperor, Elitia glared at the straw man. But faced with an enemy who now seemed to bear us no ill will, she eventually lowered her blade. “…My Blossom Blade couldn’t… If I don’t activate Red Eye, I…,” she muttered quietly after returning her sword to its scabbard. The Scarecrow had rebuffed Elitia’s most powerful attack, rejecting fifteen slashes total with only two blades. Worried how Elitia would react to the hard truth her sword clearly didn’t work on all monsters in District Five, I called out to her. “Elitia…” At that, she turned around and smiled, looking much less discouraged than I’d feared. “I’ll have to think about it later. Even Kyouka had a rough time… I need to get stronger—but I already knew that. This only drove that point home.” “…I see. You’re really tough, Elitia.” “…Don’t go complimenting me when I just admitted I’m too weak. I’m not the type to grow with undue praise, Arihito.” Suzuna approached as we spoke. Purge had evidently had some effect on Igarashi, who lay limply on Cion’s back, apparently out cold. “Arihito, I managed to slightly alleviate Kyouka’s status ailment, but I couldn’t entirely expel it.” “Thanks, Suzuna. We’re better off preparing as many antidotes to status ailments as possible, so I’m sure Purge will come in handy again soon.” “Arihito, should I hand out some medicine to everyone?” Madoka piped up. “Yeah, but can you give me just a… Hmmm?” ♦Current Status♦ > MADOKA grew to level 5 “Ah… R-right, while you were all fighting so bravely, I gave the frozen monster a Permanence potion. The next thing I knew, I got this huge bump in experience points…” “Permanence… I didn’t know such a thing existed.” “I-I’m sorry, I know I should’ve asked, but I thought it might come in handy and bought it one day when I was waiting at home.” ♦Inferior PERMANENCE Potion♦ > Potion that applies the same effect as the skill PERMANENCE. > Extends the target’s status ailment in correspondence with the user’s skill level. Only applies to certain status ailments. > Success rate increases the more the target’s vitality decreases. Normally succeeds at a very low rate. I had Madoka hand me the potion so I could take a better look. The label marked it an “inferior” product, but it seemed to work quite well as long as it activated successfully. “I’m really sorry. I know I should’ve asked for permission, but it’s just a junk potion so I thought it might be okay…” “Don’t be. I was just hoping we could get our hands on something like that,” I told her. “A potion that works like a skill… Do you know how these are made?” “Y-yes. Apparently, you can only use potions to activate certain types of magical skills, and you need to have someone who can use Magic Medicine Creation, like a Pharmacist or Alchemist, to make it for you.” “I see… So they sell these kinds of special medicines as junk items, huh?” This potion looked like it had one more dose left. Now that I knew Madoka had gained so much experience by using this kind of item during an expedition, I figured it would be a good idea to keep an eye out for and buy all sorts of medicines or tools she could handle. “Do buy anything else like this you see whenever you can… But I guess I didn’t need to tell you that. Thanks for being on top of this, Madoka. You’re a great help.” “Thank you so much! I’ll do my best!” She instantly perked up. “…Ah! A-Arihito…” The Scarecrow was pointing at us—no, something behind us. “The Altargeist…?” That something: the frozen Altargeist. Its finger still extended toward the icy statue, the Scarecrow looked in our direction. “Is that somehow special? Is that why you stopped fighting us…?” Surprisingly, the Scarecrow nodded in response—only to then shake its head. The mixed message almost threw me for a loop, but I tried my hand at interpreting it anyway: Yes, but also no. “Does it want that ice statue…? What for?” “…If you promise not to attack us anymore, I’m open to negotiate,” I said. “Is that what you want?” The Scarecrow nodded. I’d been planning to take the frozen ghoul back with us to see if Ceres could do anything with its materials. But maybe this Scarecrow could unveil other details about this labyrinth, though there was no telling how valuable that information could prove. If nothing else, I was very curious. “…Hey, everyone, do you mind if I say yes and hand over the frozen monster?” “I don’t mind, but… How exactly is it going to carry that thing?” Elitia wondered. “Currently, I do not sense any hostility from this Scarecrow,” Seraphina noted. “I’d like to believe it doesn’t intend to trick us, however… I apologize—I cannot say for certain.” The others hesitated a bit, too, but soon enough, they agreed to let the straw man take it. The Scarecrow approached the frozen monster, plucked it off the ground as if it weighed almost nothing, and lightly tossed it over its shoulder. Then, after casting a pointed glance our way, the Scarecrow turned its back to us and started strolling toward the east, away from the lake. “Mr. Arihito, what should we do? It appears to be requesting we follow…” “…I can only hope it’s not leading us to a trap. Seraphina, could you hold that thought for a moment?” I walked the short distance over to Cion to check on the now conscious Igarashi. Though not exactly her usual self, I was relieved to see the same woman who had warned me not to approach her lift herself up and smile. “I’m all right… Suzu helped calm me down a bit. I’m sorry; all I did was slow the party down this time…” “Please don’t be. I’m just glad you’re okay. This battle proved the monsters in District Five are formidable, but it also showed us we can, in fact, defeat them.” “That’s true… You guys were incredible out there. I promise I’ll hold my own in the next battle…” The ?Ghastly Plague had not relinquished its grip on Igarashi. If we didn’t find a way to completely lift it, we might have to face the Simian Lord without her. …I knew delving into a District Five Labyrinth would be risky, but I guess we just have to deal with each problem as we face it. Theresia and Elitia recovered the magic stones the two Ice Remnants had dropped, then handed them to Madoka for safekeeping. Our eyes peeled for danger, we followed the Scarecrow as it headed toward a grove to the east. Part V: The Lakeside Hermit Not long after we ventured into the woods, a layer of thick fog made it impossible to see anything. Just as I started to worry if we’d ever make it out the other end, the mist lifted, and we stepped past the last of the trees. “…A house…in a labyrinth?” Seraphina noted quizzically from her spot at the helm of our group. She may have been the only one to voice her confusion, but we were all in the same boat. We’d come upon a wooden cottage complete with a thatched roof and a chimney puffing out wisps of smoke—or rather, fog. Clearly, this must have made that haze we’d trekked through. ♦Current Status♦ > Raiding previously undiscovered terrain > Probability of encountering monsters: Extremely low > Presence of area effects: Not equipped to determine Previously undiscovered terrain—someone’s obviously living here, though. I guess sometimes that doesn’t matter. After setting the Altargeist down near the cottage, the Scarecrow went up to stand by the door. “Ah!” Madoka squeaked. “Arihito, i-it’s opening…!” The door creaked open. As rearguard, I usually brought up the tail end of our band, but now Misaki and Madoka were cowering behind me. Suzuna looked tempted to join them but in the end opted against it; more of a fellow rearguard than a halfback, she seemed to be trying to stay in formation in front of me. I appreciated her dedication to her role, but I also felt a little guilty it made her the odd one out. “…Is that a little girl…?” Elitia whispered. “Can’t say I hate the sound of that, but I’m afraid I’ve got years and years on you, young lady.” “……?!” We’d all seen the cottage inhabitant head toward the door, but the next thing we knew, a petite figure in a tricorn hat was standing right next to Elitia. She looks…so much like Ceres. Does that mean she’s a jade, too…? This girl’s facial features were similar to Ceres’s, but unique touches such as the unusual face paint and her finely braided hair were stark differences. She also wore clothing similar to those of equatorial indigenous populations that left some parts of her body exposed, and she topped that all off with a cape. I wondered what kind of profession she had. Her appearance made me think of a shaman or something along those lines; if that hunch proved right, it meant she might have something in common with a Shrine Maiden. “Hmmm, didn’t draw your blade, I see. Looks like this colored weapon doesn’t manipulate you as it pleases, does it?” “…You know what this sword is?” Elitia asked cautiously. “That I do. Although perhaps I should say I’m an expert in all such matters,” the girl replied, then walked over to me. As petite as she was, I assumed that, like Ceres, she probably belonged to a race that looked younger than their actual age. “My name is Arihito Atobe. It’s nice to meet you.” “I’m Lynée, just your friendly neighborhood eccentric living in a labyrinth cottage. I thank you for accepting my invitation,” she said, then extended her right hand; I reached mine out in return. She did indeed seem friendly, but I had to get to the bottom of why the Scarecrow had attacked us. “We have much to discuss, but I’d say your warrior requires immediate attention.” “You can cure her Ghastly Plague?” “Right, let me shed some light on my profession. I am a Witch Doctor…sometimes also called a faith healer, which means many of my skills deal with curses or the phantasmic,” she explained, then approached the frozen Altargeist and pulled what looked like a piece of paper out of her cape. “Is that…a talisman?” “Suzu, don’t you have something like that, too?” Misaki asked. “That’s right—you were holding on to the Ghost-Warding Grand Charm. That must be why those monsters avoided you at first,” I deduced. Evidently, you could unknowingly benefit during battle from the special effects imbued in certain equipment just by having it on you. It would be great if we could get other accessories with similar ghost-warding effects to help us stand our ground against phantom-type monsters, but given that Suzuna’s Sacred Words proved so effective, we were probably better off handing any such armor or charms to her. “…Well, if this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is. I never expected to see this Altargeist appear again. Was it drawn to all the ladies in your party, or maybe your multiple cursed members…?” Lynée mused. “No, in this case, I’d bet the former more likely.” “Lynée, what are you trying to say…?” “I mean, others might have come across this ghoul, but you accomplished an incredible feat capturing it in ice it like this. By all rights, freezing a ghost should be impossible. And yet you succeeded and did me a great favor in the process.” Her wording suggested the Scarecrow had brought the Altargeist here under her orders. The phantom must have held great value for her, or perhaps she and it had unfinished business. I hadn’t completely worked her out yet, but it felt safe to assume she had, in fact, invited us with amicable intent. “Young Arihito, I imagine you might harvest not a few resources from this Altargeist should you take it back with you, but I’d like to seal it away in this talisman if at all possible. I’m almost certain it would also help control the Ghastly Plague on your friend.” “If you defeat it, will that lift the status ailment…?” “Not defeat it; I’m going to seal it away,” she clarified. “My skills allow me to enter spirits into my service, and I can also confine them to talismans like this. Once done, the talisman can be used to forge spiritual tools.” “Spiritual tools… I’ve never heard of those before.” Lynée grinned slyly, almost mischievously, at my unreserved reply. Only a moment later, though, she seemed to remember something and her expression darkened. “…I fear this Altargeist will break through its icy prison before long. If you entrust it to me, I pledge my assistance will be yours whenever you need it. I have no doubt it will serve you.” “That would be wonderful, thank you. We actually came here to ask for your advice. You’re welcome to the Altargeist, of course, but please let us know if there’s anything else you need.” “Advice…? Ahhh. I swear, I don’t know what to do with that child. If she’s that near, she could’ve at least dropped by.” “Child…? What child? Ah, did I jump the gun there?” Misaki apparently hadn’t connected the dots yet, but I was almost certain Lynée was talking about Ceres. “…By the magic vested in me, I hereby command you to my service. Now, sleep, rest, lay yourself upon the ever-silent river and entrust your body and soul to the ancestral lands of your father and mother.” “OHHHH…OHHH…” With a warped, twisted howl, the frozen Altargeist evaporated into mist, then got sucked into the slip of paper Lynée held between two fingers. ♦Current Status♦ > LYNÉE activated SEAL SPIRIT Created MISTY WISPS OF SPECTRAL CHANGE CHARM “…At long last, it is done. Ten years I searched for this spirit. I nearly gave up all hope.” “Ten years…! Have you been living in the labyrinth all this time?” “I suppose so, though I can’t take credit for building this cottage. I simply exorcised the spirits from what was already standing and moved in.” No matter how lightly she spoke about it, she must have had a very important reason to spend ten whole years hunting down the Altargeist. “…Now, you’d best have your warrior maiden hold on to this.” “Are you sure? Weren’t you waiting all that time to make this talisman…?” “I simply wanted to seal the Altargeist away with my own two hands. It may not sound like much after someone else trapped it for me, but…let’s just say I needed to set things right.” She made to hand me the charm but stopped halfway as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her. “You may be her party member, but I can’t exactly leave this job to a man. That’s it; I’ll take that responsibility as a Witch Doctor and apply it for her.” “…?” Puzzled, I said, “I’m sure I could hand it to her without issue…” “A-Arihito…,” Suzuna nervously cut in. “…With charms…you, um…you need to put them…somewhere they’ll stick to your skin…” “…Ah! Ahhh, right. Now I see what you mean.” “I confess I’m curious to see how it’s done,” Seraphina admitted. “I’ve never equipped one myself.” Clearly, she hadn’t yet gotten the point. That said, she could very well wind up equipping one herself one day, so it could only help to learn. The little hut had two small beds, but Lynée told us she always slept alone; the Scarecrow, it seemed, did not need a bed. Igarashi was in that spare bed behind a rattan blind as Lynée applied the charm to her. With this type of charm, you apparently had to either tie it somewhere around your body or stick it on with a strip of what looked like seaweed that peeled off easily. “S-sorry…I understand this is a medical treatment, but I feel a little exposed…” “There’s no hard rule on where best to place the talisman, and it can peel off as you move around no matter where you choose. If it comes loose during an expedition, you can use a piece of string to tie it tight around you.” Personally, I thought there must be more convenient methods to equip the charm, but Lynée shot that down by explaining it was best to do these things the traditional way. I appreciated her inviting me into the cottage with the others, although between the fragrant aroma of something resembling incense and the extra-high concentration of women per square foot, I couldn’t help but wonder if I really belonged there. “Arihiiito, wanna guess where we stuck it?” Misaki teased. “No, not in the least…” “Oh sure, he says that, then comes and takes a peek…,” she added wryly. “Whoa! I thought I was in for something PG, but this is totally an R-rated scene…!” “D-don’t be silly, Misaki. This is all part of the treatment… Right, Lynée?” “I don’t see what the fuss is about. It’s not uncommon for women in warrior positions to develop defined abdominal muscles. Though in fairness to the young lass, yours are quite defined.” Misaki and Lynée seemed to be intentionally choosing the most suggestive language to get to me, but I knew Igarashi didn’t exactly have washboard abs. I was starting to get a six-pack myself, probably because I wound up moving around a lot for a rearguard. ♦Misty Wisps of Spectral Change Charm♦ > Suppresses up to PASSION 3. > Increases maximum magic. > User can activate LUSTY RATION. May damage Charm upon activation. Evidently, trapping a phantom-type monster in an item could at times produce a starred piece of equipment. Charms and talismans found in labyrinths were also apparently made this way through skills like Seal Spirit or something similar like Spiritual Tool Creation. “Now, I’ve affixed the seal to her body. Make sure it stays there for about a week,” Lynée instructed. “Ailments like this Ghastly Plague will disappear on their own with time, but you need to keep a suppressant on or the symptoms will return.” “Y-yes, ma’am. By the way, could I ask you about the charm’s effects…?” I showed the Witch Doctor my license. Just by watching Igarashi, I could tell that the ailment affected her ability to move, but what was this Passion 3? And yet, though I’d only asked an honest question, Lynée looked at me as if with pity, then climbed up onto a stool and patted my head. “Arhito’s gettin’ some lovin’ pats over here… Seraphina, Kyouka, is it just me, or are we witnessing the introduction of a new rival?” “Th-that’s ridiculous…,” Igarashi protested from behind the blind. “A-anyway, what exactly are you doing, Lynée?” “I doubt such behavior would be appropriate for me as I am younger than Mr. Arihito,” Seraphina added, sounding somewhat disappointed, though I couldn’t fathom why. I wished Lynée would just tell me what that status ailment was already. The learned Witch Doctor gestured for me to lend her an ear. Perhaps she meant to speak so only I could hear—but she could have just as easily wanted to tease me. Part VI: A Ray of Hope As it turned out, Lynée did seem to enjoy watching me get flustered. Finally satisfied, she explained, “It does exactly what’s written there, though ‘Passion’ can give a more emotional impression… Simply put, it refers to sexual excitement or lust.” “…L-lust… I had considered the possibility of something along those lines but found myself at a loss for words when my hunch was actually corroborated. “You can also treat the ailment without the Altargeist charm, but that depends greatly on the relationship between the affected person and their party members.” “…Looks like our best bet is to keep it on for a week, then.” “Heh-heh… I get such a kick out of watching you youngsters blush so much.” Ceres had told us she was 115 years old, and even so, Lynée called her a child. We must’ve all seemed impossibly young in her eyes, but I still felt a little unnerved. “…That aside, since we’ve managed to control your lady warrior’s symptoms, perhaps it’s time we get to the real reason you’re here. Something to do with your demi-human friend, I presume?” “So you noticed. Yes, Ceres suggested we speak with you, so we came to see if we could find you here,” I confirmed, pulling the letter Ceres had written out of my jacket pocket and handing it to Lynée. She accepted the note but placed it on the table without even opening or checking its contents. “My Scarecrow fought you because he is a guide. I instructed him to put any party with cursed members through their paces to make sure they have some degree of strength. Otherwise, they could come find me, but I wouldn’t be able to do anything for them.” “…Is the Scarecrow a monster in your service? Or…?”
Chapter 55
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