Becoming an Oni in this land of illusion

Chapter 65

The group's life in Fuyuki seemed to have fallen into a monotonous routine, having fully integrated into the world around them. However, their attention was drawn to the frequent disappearances of Ibaraki, leaving them to wonder where she was going and why.

Despite knowing that the playful youkai, Yukari, was responsible for Ibaraki's disappearances, the group was unable to take action due to the sudden and unpredictable nature of these occurrences. Nevertheless, they were relieved that Ibaraki always returned before lunchtime. Marisa and Shuten, in particular, suspected that there was something beyond the norm in Ibaraki's excursions.

Despite their desire to prevent Ibaraki from constantly agreeing to Yukari's whims, Ibaraki often showed them affection, leaving them feeling satisfied.

"Hey, Ibaraki. What's the deal with you and Yukari?" Marisa asked, folding her arms and giving Ibaraki a skeptical look. Despite her suspicion, she still hugged Ibaraki, acting a bit spoiled as she did so.

"Well... Yukari and I have been delving deeper into our investigations of this world, and I must say, it's proving to be far more complex than I had originally anticipated," Ibaraki explained, leaning in to kiss Marisa.

Marisa accepted the kiss and gazed into Ibaraki's eyes. "So, you're saying that the world is more complex than you thought," Marisa said thoughtfully. "In that case, do you mind if I borrow those books you were talking about?" she asked, her eyes pleading with Ibaraki.

"Well, I just had a brilliant idea," Ibaraki exclaimed. "I could make a book about our investigations. Wait here for a moment."

With a swift motion, Ibaraki summoned a raging flame and molded it with her magecraft into a thick book. She transmuted the book into a physical object using the water element within her Lancer saint graph. And with her mastery of soul projection, she embedded the vast knowledge she had gathered into its pages. The sight was awe-inspiring, as she held in her hands a tome of immense power and understanding, a testament to her formidable abilities as a mage.

"Here," Ibaraki said, handing over the book to Marisa. Marisa's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Ibaraki had just accomplished. Without a second thought, she eagerly took the book from her.

"Woah, how did you do that? It's amazing, it's like a god-like power!" Marisa exclaimed excitedly as she stared at Ibaraki and the book in disbelief.

"Don't be too amazed, it's actually a common method to create a high-ranked grimoire," Ibaraki said nonchalantly, which only made Marisa admire her even more.

"Can you teach me how to do that, Ibaraki?" Marisa asked, her voice carrying a hint of childish excitement. Ibaraki couldn't help but find Marisa's enthusiasm endearing, but she also knew that she needed to maintain her composure.

"I suppose I can teach you," Ibaraki replied with a smile. "But before we begin, we need to make sure your soul is strong enough. Luckily, my heart is within you, so your soul is probably stronger than ever," she added, contemplating the next method to teach Marisa.

"I think the first step is to master soul attacks, Marisa. You need to develop the ability to defeat a spirit or phantom just by using your soul essence," Ibaraki explained, satisfied that step one had been achieved.

"Then how the heck do I do it?" Marisa exclaimed, feeling a little lost and unsure of where to start.

"You have to walk through the boundary of life and death first. But, I don't want you to get hurt, so I'll have to ask Yukari for help," Ibaraki said. However, Marisa couldn't help but pout since Ibaraki had mentioned Yukari again.

"You called?" Yukari appeared in her usual nonchalant manner as if she had been there all along. But before she could finish her sentence, Ibaraki's fist came flying toward her face. With a flick of her finger, Yukari effortlessly blocked the attack. "My, my, is that how you treat your elders?" she teased, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Tsk! I knew you were eavesdropping!" Ibaraki exclaimed, dissatisfied. "And could you please turn off your boundary of invincibility and vulnerability?" Ibaraki refused to admit that hitting Yukari had made her hands feel a bit numb.

"Also, yeah, you're old. I'm glad you finally admit it," Ibaraki said, rolling her eyes.

Yukari heard Ibaraki's remark and responded with a smile, though it did not seem to reach her eyes. "I am eternally 17," she corrected Ibaraki in a calm and collected manner as if it was a fact that she had stated many times before.

"Alright, then can you help me with something?" Ibaraki asked Yukari, hoping that Yukari would agree without asking for anything in return.

"If you're referring to exposing Marisa to the boundary of life and death, then I can assist you. However, you're aware of the cost, correct?" Yukari asked as she gently grasped Ibaraki's chin and gazed into her eyes.

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Ibaraki scoffed. "If it's for someone I care about, I couldn't care less what happens to me," she said, firmly meeting Yukari's gaze.

Marisa felt a pang of sadness as she listened to Ibaraki's words, knowing that the one didn't place much value on her own safety. However, at the same time, she felt a deep sense of warmth and contentment being with Ibaraki. Despite the risks and dangers they faced, Marisa couldn't help but feel that being with Ibaraki was one of the best decisions she had ever made.

"Haha~, as expected from you. Well then..." Yukari laughed and felt gratified by Ibaraki's response. Then she turned her attention to Marisa. "Marisa, let me warn you and ask if you are sure you want to do this," she said with a serious tone.

"Is that even a question? Heck yeah, I'm gonna do it!" Marisa declared with unwavering conviction.

Ibaraki's eyes narrowed as she prepared to use her healing magic. She knew that Marisa was determined to succeed, but she also knew that she needed to be ready in case things went wrong. With all her focus, she channeled her magic, pushing it to its maximum output. She would be ready to step in if Marisa failed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just gonna do a quick 1k words today. I'm thinking about rewriting some of my old fanfics in the third person and seeing how that turns out. Might even throw them up on Scribble Hub for kicks.