I was Reincarnated as the Scum Older Brother of the Protagonist in a Romance Battle Game, But I don't want to Die, so I'll do my Best - Episode 26

“Joji! Are you okay?!”

Mashiro’s worried voice echoes from beyond the rocks.

“Oh, yeah! This is nothing! Don’t worry!”

I shout back, putting on a brave front.

I slowly step out from behind the waterfall, straighten my back, and position myself to take the full force of the water on my head and shoulders, evenly.

“Oh, this feels better than before?!”

But if I let my guard down, I’m quickly pushed left or right and fall into the river.

(Focus, focus!)

This time, I close my eyes while enduring the waterfall, making sure not to lose focus. I just feel the power of the waterfall on my left and right shoulders and balance myself.

With my eyes closed, the sensations on the top of my head and both shoulders seem to sharpen. Eventually, even the roaring sound of the waterfall in my ears fades away.

I just maintain my core, not resisting the flow of water coming from above.

“You’re doing quite well… I’m a little impressed, you know?”

(Is that voice Byakko?! So, that wasn’t a dream after all…?)

“What nonsense are you talking about? More importantly, your past is quite interesting… a multiverse, you say? And it was your original vessel that made the temporary contract with me.”

(What?! I thought I contracted with Joji’s vessel…?)

“…”

(Why are you silent, Byakko????)

“Well, don’t be so hard on me. The very fact that you can converse with me like this is the true essence of the waterfall training.”

(The true essence… Is that the thing where, through waterfall training and deep concentration, you enter a kind of trance state and your spirit alone can communicate with the gods in the divine realm beyond the secret domain?)

“Oh… you know a lot, it seems. Well, I’m only here on a temporary contract, so I can’t even bestow any skills as a gift.”

(Completely useless, then…)

“Hahaha, indeed. I’m just residing in you as a temporary measure until I get a contract for a true sacred beast’s vessel, was it ‘Summon’ you called it? But while I can’t bestow skills as a gift, I will allow divine possession. So, I’ll give you passive skills.”

(Ah, yeah, yeah… Well, even just passive skills are helpful.)

No? This might actually be quite lucky. It’s a shame to only get passive skills and no other unique ones, but being able to perform divine possession will be a good appeal.

(I’ll think about what to do if they ask to see my skills later.)

Divine Possession and Skills

Divine Possession is the method of housing the power of a contracted god within oneself and wielding it in reality. It is the most common method of divine invocation.

Essentially, skills bestowed by a contracted god are broadly divided into two types: Constant Skills (Passive Skills), which are activated even without divine possession once contracted, and Vortex Skills (Active Skills), which can be used during divine possession.

Passive skills include abilities like “Strength Enhancement,” “Perception Enhancement,” “Analyze,” and “Stealth.”

On the other hand, active skills are diverse and depend on the characteristics of the gods, such as “Wind Attack Skills,” “Healing Skills,” and “Area Barriers.”

Furthermore, there is an even higher form beyond divine possession—a technique that only those who have undergone extensive training can acquire: Divine Garment.

“However, the Black Domain… Genbu’s power is especially strong here, which I dislike.”

(I don’t know the details, but are the Four Sacred Beasts not very friendly with each other?)

“It’s called mutual subjugation. We revolve left from Seiryu in a cycle of mutual subjugation: Seiryu → Suzaku → Byakko → Genbu → Seiryu.”

(So, Byakko doesn’t get along with Suzaku and Genbu, but gets along with Seiryu, is that it?)

“Get along… Well, it’s not such a simple relationship, but generally, yes.”

(Is that why you tried to enter Mashiro’s vessel, who is destined to be Genbu’s vessel?)

“Oh… You’re quite sharp.”

(I see. If Genbu, who is meant to be subjugated by Byakko, gains power, then Genbu, who should be at a disadvantage, won’t be able to exert its power, and Byakko alone will be affected. Something like that?)

“I’m impressed… Then, do you understand why I’m trying to prevent my power from weakening?”

(The ura-kimon (back demon gate)… the divine stone that appeared at the foot of Mount Fuji… the counterpart to Ama-no-Iwato… Chi-no-Iwato (Earth’s Rock Cave).)

“…………You… who are you really? I, a god, am trembling… I may have possessed someone I shouldn’t have…”

(…………)

After that, Byakko’s voice vanished and I could no longer hear it. The roaring sound of the waterfall returned to my ears.

“Huh?”

When I opened my eyes, the sun had set a little. It seemed to have passed noon and entered the evening.

And across the waterfall basin, Mashiro was sitting, leaning her cheek on her hand, looking at me, having changed her clothes. I stepped away from the flowing waterfall, and suddenly felt as if my body had become lighter.

I then crossed the waterfall basin and rushed over to Mashiro.

“Hm? Oh, you finished? Joji, you were really focused… Your divine perception must have sharpened considerably.”

“Yeah, I felt it!”

I smiled at Mashiro and gave her a peace sign.

Thus ended the short but intense three days of training with Mashiro at “Genbu’s Rain-Soaked Rocky Area.”

“Joji! Are you okay?!”

Mashiro’s worried voice echoes from beyond the rocks.

“Oh, yeah! This is nothing! Don’t worry!”

I shout back, putting on a brave front.

I slowly step out from behind the waterfall, straighten my back, and position myself to take the full force of the water on my head and shoulders, evenly.

“Oh, this feels better than before?!”

But if I let my guard down, I’m quickly pushed left or right and fall into the river.

(Focus, focus!)

This time, I close my eyes while enduring the waterfall, making sure not to lose focus. I just feel the power of the waterfall on my left and right shoulders and balance myself.

With my eyes closed, the sensations on the top of my head and both shoulders seem to sharpen. Eventually, even the roaring sound of the waterfall in my ears fades away.

I just maintain my core, not resisting the flow of water coming from above.

“You’re doing quite well… I’m a little impressed, you know?”

(Is that voice Byakko?! So, that wasn’t a dream after all…?)

“What nonsense are you talking about? More importantly, your past is quite interesting… a multiverse, you say? And it was your original vessel that made the temporary contract with me.”

(What?! I thought I contracted with Joji’s vessel…?)

“…”

(Why are you silent, Byakko????)

“Well, don’t be so hard on me. The very fact that you can converse with me like this is the true essence of the waterfall training.”

(The true essence… Is that the thing where, through waterfall training and deep concentration, you enter a kind of trance state and your spirit alone can communicate with the gods in the divine realm beyond the secret domain?)

“Oh… you know a lot, it seems. Well, I’m only here on a temporary contract, so I can’t even bestow any skills as a gift.”

(Completely useless, then…)

“Hahaha, indeed. I’m just residing in you as a temporary measure until I get a contract for a true sacred beast’s vessel, was it ‘Summon’ you called it? But while I can’t bestow skills as a gift, I will allow divine possession. So, I’ll give you passive skills.”

(Ah, yeah, yeah… Well, even just passive skills are helpful.)

No? This might actually be quite lucky. It’s a shame to only get passive skills and no other unique ones, but being able to perform divine possession will be a good appeal.

(I’ll think about what to do if they ask to see my skills later.)

Divine Possession and Skills

Divine Possession is the method of housing the power of a contracted god within oneself and wielding it in reality. It is the most common method of divine invocation.

Essentially, skills bestowed by a contracted god are broadly divided into two types: Constant Skills (Passive Skills), which are activated even without divine possession once contracted, and Vortex Skills (Active Skills), which can be used during divine possession.

Passive skills include abilities like “Strength Enhancement,” “Perception Enhancement,” “Analyze,” and “Stealth.”

On the other hand, active skills are diverse and depend on the characteristics of the gods, such as “Wind Attack Skills,” “Healing Skills,” and “Area Barriers.”

Furthermore, there is an even higher form beyond divine possession—a technique that only those who have undergone extensive training can acquire: Divine Garment.

“However, the Black Domain… Genbu’s power is especially strong here, which I dislike.”

(I don’t know the details, but are the Four Sacred Beasts not very friendly with each other?)

“It’s called mutual subjugation. We revolve left from Seiryu in a cycle of mutual subjugation: Seiryu → Suzaku → Byakko → Genbu → Seiryu.”

(So, Byakko doesn’t get along with Suzaku and Genbu, but gets along with Seiryu, is that it?)

“Get along… Well, it’s not such a simple relationship, but generally, yes.”

(Is that why you tried to enter Mashiro’s vessel, who is destined to be Genbu’s vessel?)

“Oh… You’re quite sharp.”

(I see. If Genbu, who is meant to be subjugated by Byakko, gains power, then Genbu, who should be at a disadvantage, won’t be able to exert its power, and Byakko alone will be affected. Something like that?)

“I’m impressed… Then, do you understand why I’m trying to prevent my power from weakening?”

(The ura-kimon (back demon gate)… the divine stone that appeared at the foot of Mount Fuji… the counterpart to Ama-no-Iwato… Chi-no-Iwato (Earth’s Rock Cave).)

“…………You… who are you really? I, a god, am trembling… I may have possessed someone I shouldn’t have…”

(…………)

After that, Byakko’s voice vanished and I could no longer hear it. The roaring sound of the waterfall returned to my ears.

“Huh?”

When I opened my eyes, the sun had set a little. It seemed to have passed noon and entered the evening.

And across the waterfall basin, Mashiro was sitting, leaning her cheek on her hand, looking at me, having changed her clothes. I stepped away from the flowing waterfall, and suddenly felt as if my body had become lighter.

I then crossed the waterfall basin and rushed over to Mashiro.

“Hm? Oh, you finished? Joji, you were really focused… Your divine perception must have sharpened considerably.”

“Yeah, I felt it!”

I smiled at Mashiro and gave her a peace sign.

Thus ended the short but intense three days of training with Mashiro at “Genbu’s Rain-Soaked Rocky Area.”