She took a biteit was far tastier than any candied apple she had ever eaten before.
"This is amazing! You should try one too!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha handed the second candied apple she had bought to Kato Megumi.
Though they had only known each other for a few days
The two had already become quite close friends.
Partly because they got along so well, and partly because Kato Megumi was simply too gentle.
Kato Megumi accepted the candied apple and took a small bite.
The sweetness was just rightnot overwhelming, but perfectly balanced.
She carefully examined the bite mark on the apple's surface.
Trying to figure out a little secret from it.
So that she could make some herself later
And give them to her Azuma.
"Speaking of which, how did things go after that? After the physical fitness test?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha asked casually.
These past few days, Kato Megumi had told her many stories about Yukima Azuma.
To help her get into character better.
The girls who were close to Yukima Azuma were fineeven if they found out about the identity exchange, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But he knew way too many people.
From his classmates at Toyogasaki
To those he met as the president of Laplace Corporation.
To avoid causing trouble, Miyamizu Mitsuha needed to understand things even more thoroughly.
At the moment, the story had reached the Summer Comiket event.
But suddenly, Miyamizu Mitsuha asked about the physical fitness test at school.
"After that?"
Kato Megumi blinked in confusion.
Miyamizu Mitsuha nodded.
"Umu, I mean after you helped Yukima-san apply medicine in the classroom. Didn't Sawamura-san get angry and run off back then?"
"So what happened afterward? How did they end up getting along and running the club together?"
This question didn't come out of nowhere.
It was becausetwo days ago
Eriri had come to Yukima's house to freeload and draw her manuscript.
And the moment Miyamizu Mitsuha saw those twin-tailed blonde locks, exactly as described
She immediately turned around and ran away.
She thought it was simply because she was afraid of acting poorly and exposing a flaw.
But two people already knew about it.
Would adding one more really make that much of a difference?
And now, Miyamizu Mitsuha brought up the events after the physical fitness test.
For some unknown reason, Yukima Azuma had been bitten by Eriri so that he got injured.
In the end, it was Kato Megumi who helped him apply medicine.
Yet after that, the two somehow made up as if nothing had ever happened.
"According to Azuma-san, Sawamura-san took the initiative to apologize."
"Azuma-san accepted her apology and conveniently invited Sawamura-san to join the club."
Kato Megumi spoke in a light tone.
But the way she looked at Miyamizu Mitsuha was somewhat intriguing.
"I see, Yukima-san really has a good temper."
Miyamizu Mitsuha muttered under her breath.
Deep inside, she felt a bit indignant on Yukima Azuma's behalf.
Thinking that Eriri had gone a little too far.
Even if Kato Megumi explained that it was a personality type called 'tsundere.'
"Miyamizu-san, do you like him?"
Kato Megumi suddenly asked.
Even though it was phrased as a question, her tone sounded more like a statement.
After speaking, Kato Megumi calmly took another bite of her candied apple.
Miyamizu Mitsuha was so startled that she froze.
By the time she fully grasped the implication of Kato Megumi's words
She immediately shook her head like crazy.
Her tied-up ponytail swayed back and forth with the motion.
"Haha, Megumi, what are you even saying? How could I possibly like Yukima-san!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha laughed loudly, as if she had just heard a joke.
"I haven't even met him before, where would I get the chance to like him?"
After adding one more retort
She quickly took two bites of her candied apple, then turned her head toward Asakusa.
"Let's go inside and have a look. I heard they serve vegetarian meals in the temple."
Kato Megumi didn't say anything more.
From the very beginning, she hadn't even mentioned Yukima Azuma's name.
Yet Miyamizu Mitsuha didn't need to ask who she meant
She brought up Yukima Azuma all on her own
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 163: Shrine, Deity, Butterfly
In the final days of swapped.
Early in the morning, Yukima Azuma led Suou Yuki, who had secretly snuck out, to the Miyamizu Shrine.
"Grandmother, I want to bring a friend along, is that okay?"
Yukima Azuma asked Miyamizu Hitoha.
As expected
The kind old woman did not hesitate and nodded in agreement.
Even though it was a worship ceremony for the deity, which sounded solemn
It seemed that Miyamizu Shrine did not have too many rigid rules for outsiders.
Even the ritual dance of the previous festival could be watched by all the townspeople.
And no matter what they discussed below, it didn't matter.
Perhaps it was because Itomori's guardian deity was not too strict.
Thus, the group of fourSuou Yuki, Yukima Azuma, Miyamizu Hitoha, and Miyamizu Yotsuhawalked up the mountain together.
The mountain path in Itomori was not easy to traverse.
At the very least, vehicles could not go up; they had to walk.
Miyamizu Hitoha was already elderly.
By the time they reached halfway up the mountain, she was already showing clear signs of exhaustion.
Yukima Azuma didn't think much and immediately crouched down in front of her.
"Let me carry you on my back."
The four of them would walk a bit, then rest for a while.
Yukima Azuma had excellent stamina, but Yotsuha was still young, and Suou Yuki's health, though improved, could not yet be called strong.
After a few stops
They finally reached the mountain's peak.
From there, just by turning around, they could see the entire view of Itomori town and Itomori Lake.
And on the other side of the mountain, not too far away, there was a cave.
That was their destination this time.
Yukima Azuma set Miyamizu Hitoha down.
As the old woman stepped down, she glanced at Yukima Azuma's wrist.
There, a thin, reddish-orange braided cord was wrapped around it.
It was looped several times, resembling an ornament.
"Mitsuha, you're wearing that braided cord again today?"
The old woman asked curiously.
This braided cord had been specially brought back from the shrine by Miyamizu Mitsuha.
On the day they made kumihimo, Miyamizu Hitoha had seen Mitsuha bring this cord home.
She had asked her what she intended to do with it.
Mitsuha said she wanted to give it to someone.
Yet today, it appeared on "her" wrist.
"Ah, since today is the day of worship, I thought I'd wear it."
Yukima Azuma replied casually.
This cord
Was the very thing Miyamizu Mitsuha had deliberately left by the bedside before the identity swap ended.
She had even written in the diary, instructing him to wear it on the last day of the ceremony.
Even though he didn't know what it meant
Yukima Azuma still wrapped it a few times around his wrist.
"I see."
Miyamizu Hitoha gently nodded, her expression seeming thoughtful.
Then, the four of them continued into the cave.
Around the cave entrance were decaying wooden remnants.
In the past, there must have been a torii gate or something similar.
But too much time had passed, and no one had repaired it, leaving only ruined remains.
Following the path inside the cave, they soon saw a stone shrine.
This shrine was seamlessly connected to the cave's foundation.
Yukima Azuma thought
There must have been a massive rock here once, which had been carved into this shrine by human hands.
Miyamizu Hitoha placed the offerings she had brought in front of the shrine.
Then, she closed her eyes and silently bowed in worship.
Yukima Azuma and the others followed suit, bowing before the shrine.
As for whether they were sincere or notthat depended on each person.
While bowing, Yukima Azuma silently called the name of Itomori's deity.
But there was no response.
Thinking back, ever since swapped and that brief conversation with the deity of Itomori
He had never been able to make contact again.
Now, right before this shrine
There was still no response at all.
When he opened his eyes, Yukima Azuma looked at the tightly shut stone door of the shrine.
A sudden urge arose within himhe wanted to push it open and see what was inside.
But the thought only flashed by
In the end, he held himself back.
The swap was still ongoing.
Miyamizu Mitsuha's grandmother was right beside him.
Even though worshiping the deity of Itomori did not have strict rules, such a disrespectful act was surely forbidden.
Better to wait until the swap was over.
After returning to the other side, he could come back to check later.
After all, Yukima Azuma had already memorized the path.
* * *
The worship ceremony ended.
Miyamizu Hitoha sat outside the cave to rest for a while.
"Grandmother, I'm going to take a few pictures."
Yukima Azuma pointed toward the forest on the slopes of Itomori Mountain.
"Umu, don't go too far, be careful not to get lost."
Miyamizu Hitoha reminded him.
So Yukima Azuma walked toward the forest.
Suou Yuki followed along.
The two of them strolled for a while, until the cave was no longer in sight
Only then did they begin to speak.
"See anything strange?"
Yukima Azuma asked curiously.
Suou Yuki could see through the perception concealment caused by the identity swap.
Though the exact mechanics were unclear
Maybe she could spot something different.
Suou Yuki simply shook her head.
"I didn't see anything. It just looked like a normal shrine to me. Is that really the shrine of the Itomori deity?"
A being capable of swapping two people across a three-year gap in time
Yet living in such miserable conditions.
Suou Yuki couldn't help but wonder if there was some kind of mistake.
"Miyamizu Shrine has worshiped it for generations, so there's no way it's the wrong one."
Yukima Azuma waved his hand dismissively.
In the Miyamizu lineage, every generation had a woman who experienced the swap.
If they had been worshiping the wrong deity, the divine phenomenon wouldn't have lasted through so many generations.
"How about raising some money to renovate the shrine and temple?"
"Forget it, that deity doesn't seem like the type to care about incense offerings."
"Really? So, onii-chan, what are you doing here?"
"Umu, I have a few things to do."
With that, Yukima Azuma took out a notebook and a pen from his backpack.
Suou Yuki curiously looked over.
He opened the notebook, placed the pen on a fresh page,
Took a deep breaththen slowly closed his eyes.
The Harry Potter novel had already published one volume.
Discussions flooded the internet.
Across the world, countless people believed in and longed for the magical world described in the books.
Many sought to find Platform 9 3/4 in real life.
The conditions for the Literary Skill
Had been met.
When Yukima Azuma opened his eyes
His pen lightly glided across the page.
The soft scratching of the pen echoed.
And at that very moment
Brilliant streaks of light suddenly burst forth from the strokes of his pen.
The notebook in Yukima Azuma's hands
Transformed into a Pandora's box that had just been opened.
One by one, shimmering rays of light emerged, then began to swirl around him.
Suou Yuki stared wide-eyed at the scene before her
It was like witnessing actual magic.
For a moment, she was stunned.
And then
The radiant lights began to transform.
They morphed into countless creatures.
One stream of light descended onto Suou Yuki's shoulder, turning into an owl.
Looking at the owl perched on her shoulder, and the other mystical beings circling around Yukima Azuma
"This is" Her eyes widened in astonishment. "The fantastic creatures from Harry Potter?"
Yukima Azuma stopped writing, closed his notebook, and gave a small nod.
This was the first time he had truly used the supernatural abilities granted by his Literary Skill at level seven.
In total, he had summoned seventeen magical creatures from the books.
Each of them retained the abilities described in the novel.
Furthermore, they were entirely under his control.
It had to be saidhis Literary Skill was undoubtedly a product of the system.
Compared to Kasumigaoka's Literary Skill, the difference was staggering.
However
This was also the limit of level seven.
If he wanted to summon creatures with more powerful settings or increase the number
He would need to level up his skill even further.
Suou Yuki reached out and gently stroked the owl on her shoulder.
"This is amazing Could it be that onii-chan is actually a god?"
Her eyes were filled with awebut also a trace of disappointment.
A godwas simply too distant.
"Nah." Yukima Azuma shrugged. "Rather than being some god, I'd much rather be human."
Hearing that, Suou Yuki couldn't help but laugh.
After her laughter faded, she continued petting the owl, already guessing Yukima Azuma's intention.
"These magical creatures are they meant to drive people away from this area?"
"Exactly. Once you buy out the town of Itomori, they will remain in the forest to keep outsiders from entering."
"Then can I keep the owl?"
"Umu, it was meant for you from the start."
"Uwawa, Onii-samaI'm going to cry!"
"Come here, let your Super-Cute Imouto give you a gift in return~"
Overcome with emotion, Suou Yuki immediately pounced toward Yukima Azuma.
Judging by her pursed lips, it seemed like she intended to offer a kiss.
But Yukima Azuma simply raised a hand to press lightly against her forehead
Holding her back with ease.
"Bad Onii-sama, don't reject a girl's heartfelt gratitude!"
"Wait three years. If you still feel this way then, we'll talk."
