The Old Man Who Saved Another World 15 Years Ago is Now Getting Caught Up In A Modern Fantasy - Episode 15

“Hey, hey. Sayohime, are you alive?”

“W-What have I done? Why did I do something so bold? Even if it was my first time… my first time doing that, I should have thought it through and not gotten so carried away… Ugh, I’m so embarrassed. I want to disappear.”

“It seems like it’s not going to work.”

I was really shaken when Sayohime suddenly did something like that to me, and it was a deep type of thing too.

But for now, I’m recovering.

Rather, she is so deeply hurt by her sense of shame that she is on the verge of death, yet she still has the presence of mind to worry about Sayohime.

Why did Sayohime take that action… probably to push me, who hesitated to make the shikigami contract.

You showed your willingness to become my shikigami through your actions. It seems you even intended to proceed with the contract just like that.

However, it didn’t work out because of the reason Kukuri mentioned.

Even so, normally people don’t do things like that.

As for me, there’s no way I wouldn’t be happy to be turned into a beautiful girl like Sayohime, but I wonder what Sayohime is thinking.

…Just to be sure, I will assert that it is not a crime.

Indeed, she may look like that, but Sayohime is already over a thousand years old.

On the contrary, he’s about 25 times older than me.

You must not misunderstand that part. Never. Absolutely never.

If anyone were to be judged as a criminal, it would be Sayohime rather than me. There is no problem with that.

“Well, I get your feelings for Yukimura. You might be a bit too hasty, but you did your best, didn’t you? Even though you’re from different races, as a woman, I’ll cheer you on… But this situation is just so funny and laughable.”

“Hiin”

“Come on, stand up. You gathered your courage for this, didn’t you? You’re going to become Yukimura’s shikigami, right?”

“Uh, uh… thank you.”

Taking the outstretched hand, Sayohime, who had been crouching, stands up.

Did these two suddenly become close or something?

If it had been the previous situation, I definitely wouldn’t have reached out to Sayohime.

I don’t understand.

“Um, Yukimura…”

Sayohime stands before me.

That face remained as red as ever, with eyes darting around uncertainly, going this way and that.

It seems like you can’t look me in the eye, and we never make eye contact.

Yeah, it’s embarrassing. I get it.

“Ah, Sayohime. I’ve received your intentions. Once again, will you become my shikigami?”

“Ah, um!”

Since Sayohime is too embarrassed to even meet my gaze, I’ll take the initiative and start the conversation myself.

Then she nodded vigorously, shaking her head up and down.

“Well then…”

Yes

I borrowed the small knife that Kukuri offered and made a shallow cut on my fingertip.

Bl00d spilling from a small wound.

I have the intention to form a shikigami contract, and Sayohime has the intention to accept it.

After that, manipulate your own spiritual power and mix it with the bl00d at your fingertips. By having Sayohime consume this, the shikigami contract is said to be completed.

I offer my bloodied fingertip to Sayohime.

“Princess Sayohime”

“……”

In response to my call, Sayohime answers by grasping the outstretched hand with both hands.

However, the gaze continues to go back and forth.

“Even though we did that kind of thing, this is still somehow embarrassing… Alright!”

Sayohime met my gaze as if she had made up her mind.

As expected, her face was still red, but her gaze met mine directly, as if she had made up her mind.

“Well, it’s embarrassing to say it again, but… ahem, from now on, please take care of me, Master!”

“Ah, please take care of it, Sayohime.”

Sayohime smiled happily upon hearing my response.

And then, with a small opening of my mouth, I bit down on my fingertip, which was oozing bl00d.

――Immediately after, the spiritual energy centered around me and Sayohime goes wild.

This is my spiritual power. It seems that the spiritual power, overflowing on its own regardless of my will, is being directed towards Sayohime.

“Mm… ugh, phew! M-Master’s spiritual power is entering me…!”

“Sayohime, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine…! Mmm!”

Sayohime, her face flushed, writhes in agony.

I’m worried about that situation, but since the person says they’re okay, there shouldn’t be any problem.

It feels like my spiritual power is being drawn out by Sayohime without my consent, but in terms of the total amount of spiritual power, it’s a small quantity.

Surely, this is also part of the shikigami contract.

If Sayohime herself seems fine, maybe I shouldn’t do anything in particular.

I decided to leave things as they are.

“Ah… mmm! My body is so hot… Master, so much is coming in… ah!”

“…………”

Hey, could you stop making those weird noises?

My face is red, my eyes are moist, I’m writhing, making strange noises… I can’t help but remember the feeling of that thing from earlier.

At this rate, we’ll end up in an accident and I’ll feel all weird about it.

Shikigami contract, I really hope it ends soon.

“—C-coming! Something is coming…!”

“Sa, Sayohime?”

Shaking and collapsing, Sayohime started saying something about not really knowing what was coming.

Immediately, her body was enveloped in light.

“W-what the!?”

Princess Sayo is shining so brightly!

Even though I’m not looking at Karma with the “Karma Eye,” somehow, Sayohime started to shine.

Could this also be one of the steps in the shikigami contract?

For now, I’ll just watch how things unfold.

Change came quickly.

“……The outflow of spiritual power has stopped.”

The outflow of spiritual energy that had been overflowing on its own and being absorbed by Sayohime suddenly stops.

Roughly speaking, it seems that about 5% of my total spiritual power was taken in the end.

For me, it’s not a significant amount, but I think it would probably be quite a lot of spiritual power for the average person.

What will happen to Sayohime after absorbing this much spiritual power?

“Light!”

The outflow of spiritual energy stopped, and immediately after that.

The light that enveloped Sayohime began to fade. And of course, what appeared there was Sayohime――

“…Huh, Sayohime?”

Seeing that figure, I was bewildered and froze.

There’s no doubt that she’s Sayohime.

The distinctive dog ears remain unchanged. The bright, fluffy brown hair is also unchanged in length and color.

However, their facial features somehow seem to have matured.

My height has also increased, probably around 150 centimeters.

The impression of them being generally short middle schoolers has changed to that of generally short high schoolers as they’ve grown.

The body’s contours… no, that part remained unchanged.

And it’s not just the appearance that has changed.

The quality of the power I felt from Sayohime… it was as if the presence that could be sensed intuitively had dramatically improved.

To put it simply, it seems to be getting stronger.

“……?”

The little princess, who had just opened her eyes with a snap, blinked her golden eyes.

“W-what’s happening? Has my appearance changed? And I’m filled with an unprecedented amount of power. Master, wh-what is this…?”

“……Kukuri, is this the power of the shikigami contract?”

I am asked by the grown-up Sayohime, but I don’t have the answer.

If we’re going to find out about it here, it will only be Kukuri.

I ask her.

――However, Kukuri stood there, seemingly bewildered and frozen, as if she couldn’t understand the situation, staring at us.

“Eh, what’s that? I don’t know anything about it… scary.”

You don’t know?