"Taiyo is gone. What about the Moon Magic Orb?" Que Tang suddenly remembered the issue. Only then did she realize that she and the stoic girl were still embracing each other, completely naked. She gave a light cough, released her hold, and silently walked back to the edge of the spring to pick up her clothes.
"Tang, let me dress you." In the blink of an eye, Himiko had already changed back into her shrine maiden robes. She beat the ninja to it, picking up her black garments and kneeling on the ground, looking up at her with an expressionless face.
Que Tang stood under the moonlight with a cold, detached expression. After a mere three seconds of silence, she immediately decided to comply with the stoic maiden's wishes. She wore a haughty look, as if the attendant of the eight million gods were merely her servant, allowing the girl to wait on her. In reality, she had suddenly realized that if Himiko’s "blackened" state became like Taiyo’s... and she hadn't forgotten that a yandere level of seventy meant "to love you is to bind you."
Thus, she decisively resolved to become Lady Himiko’s loyal pet.
Himiko looked at the neatly dressed ninja with satisfaction, her heart swelling with an untimely sense of pride, much like that of a devoted wife. Her eyes remained fixed intently on the ninja. "Because of you, Tang, Taiyo and I have merged." She pressed her hands together and raised them high. The cascading moonlight gradually gathered and fused within her palms, eventually forming a black orb. Upon closer inspection, the darkness was filled with speckles of yellow light. She held the Moon Magic Orb out to the ninja.
However, Que Tang only noticed one phrase: *“Taiyo and I have merged.”* She subconsciously rubbed her neck, feeling incredibly fortunate for her earlier decision.
"Tang?" Himiko tilted her head in the same puzzled manner Taiyo had earlier, yet her face remained devoid of any expression.
Que Tang arched an eyebrow. she looked coldly at the Moon Magic Orb in the girl's hand and nodded. "Keep it safe. Now, the only one left is the Gold-attribute Magic Orb. Once we have that, plus the Sun Magic Orb you represent, we can find the way to eliminate the Demon King at the Central Holy Land." She lowered her head in thought. "But that is merely a legend. No one has ever successfully collected all seven magic orbs." Thinking about it, this seemed like an impossible mission; who would have known that the Sun and Moon orbs existed within the body of a shrine maiden with a split personality?
Himiko obediently tucked the magic orb into her sleeve and stood submissively behind the ninja.
Que Tang stroked her chin in contemplation, suddenly remembering the Hero she had left hanging in the tree. She spun around abruptly, nearly colliding with Himiko behind her. "What are you doing standing right behind me?" Que Tang asked, her voice cold and heartless.
"Himiko has dedicated her body and soul to Lady Tang. Lady Tang is Himiko’s everything," the stoic maiden replied without a hint of inflection.
"Let's go find Aotian. I wonder how his research into offensive secret techniques is going." She set off toward the Hero’s location.
The now "Yamato Nadeshiko-fied" stoic girl followed closely behind her, step for step.
When they reached the tree where the Hero was being "air-dried," they saw two arm-like appendages constantly sprouting from Aotian Slime’s body as he hung from the branch.
Seeing them arrive, Aotian Slime flashed a cute smile, his adorable large eyes brimming with joy. He couldn't wait to share his offensive secret technique with his companions. "Hu, Tang, you’re here!"
"Aotian, have you made any progress?" Que Tang asked casually. She had only intended to get the male lead out of the way so she could soak in the hot spring, so she hadn't actually expected him to discover anything. Moreover, even if he had, she remained skeptical of his actual combat power.
Unexpectedly, the Hero spoke with total confidence. "I have developed a secret attack method. Don't worry—no matter what powerful enemy we face, I will definitely protect you. You two..." He looked at the ninja and the shrine maiden with eyes full of affection. "...are the most important people to me. I will never let any harm come to you."
However, neither the shrine maiden nor the ninja paid any attention to what he said. Que Tang reached up to pluck the Hero down, but Himiko was once again a step faster.
"Allow me, Lady Tang," the stoic girl said, her face as wooden as ever.
Although Himiko was now in control of the body, Taiyo had not completely vanished; her personality and thought patterns had merged with Himiko’s. Taiyo’s intense possessiveness and desire for control made it impossible for Himiko to tolerate her ninja touching anyone other than herself.
How could her holy ninja be defiled by a filthy person from another world?
After grabbing the Hero, Himiko did not hold him in her arms as she usually did. Instead, she placed him on her shoulder. Her body, her soul, her everything belonged to the ninja. Unless absolutely necessary, she should not let anyone else touch her.
The water droplet atop the Hero’s head faithfully reflected his mood, turning into a question mark. Still unaware that a "secret that cannot be told" now existed between the two women, he simply assumed they were troubled and fearful because of the powerful enemies they were about to face. Once he reached this conclusion, he returned to being the confident Hero. "Trust me, we will surely defeat the Demon King, save this world, and allow everyone to live in peace and stability."
The ninja gave him a cold glance before picking a tree that looked comfortable and leaping up to rest.
The virtuous shrine maiden started a campfire, moved the Hero from her shoulder to the grass, and sat silently beneath the tree to guard her lady.
The next morning, they set out for the Iron Mountains.
Upon arrival, Que Tang frowned, cautiously observing their surroundings. True to its name, the Iron Mountains were covered in metallic ore veins, and not a single blade of grass grew there. It seemed the magic wolves possessing the Gold attribute were the most powerful of their kind.
Himiko stood quietly behind the ninja, awaiting her orders. The Hero, perched on the shrine maiden’s shoulder, shouted for them to advance with boundless energy and no fear.
The ninja nodded and took the lead.
Along the way, there were no living plants or animals, only the whistling of the biting cold wind.
Suddenly, Que Tang’s right hand whipped out her iron rod to block something. With her other hand, she grabbed Himiko and leaped to safety.
A moment later, a wolf entirely covered in steel appeared before them.
"Damn, it’s a physical attacker. There are no obvious weaknesses like this." Just as she finished speaking, a block of iron came flying at them. Que Tang shielded Himiko behind her, rapidly spinning her iron rod to deflect the iron blocks. Finally finding a gap in the assault, she took the opportunity to tell Himiko to protect herself before charging forward with her iron rod.
She moved swiftly, positioning herself before the Magic Wolf. She raised the iron rod high and brought it down with a heavy strike.
*Clang!*
The vibration numbed her hands, yet the Magic Wolf suffered no damage at all. Instead, it seemed provoked; its eyes widened, and it viciously swung its tail, sending Que Tang flying.
"Tang!" Himiko cried.
"Tang!" the Hero shouted.
The color of the stoic girl’s pupils shifted instantly. Her habitually expressionless face finally showed a flicker of rage. She was about to summon her cursed doll, but in the next moment, she looked at her empty hands in shock. "How is this possible? Magic cannot be used here." Then, she spotted a Magic-Forbidden Array behind the wolf. Before she could react, the ninja was swatted into the air by the tail once again. This time, Himiko was truly furious, her hands clenched so tightly that her veins were clearly visible.
"How can I allow you to hurt my companion like this!" the Hero shouted indignantly from Himiko’s shoulder, his large eyes wide and "moe." "I’m going to send you flying! Take this—Elastic Slime Punch!" A humanoid fist sprouted from his body, but it retracted halfway.
"Dammit, not enough! That’s not enough! Watch me!" Aotian Slime jumped off Himiko’s shoulder, his entire body tensing. "Gear First!" Then, steam began to rise from his body. "Gear Second!" His body began to swell and grow.
"This time, I’m definitely going to knock you back into the periodic table! Take this! E-las-tic! Slime! Punch!" A pink fist five times larger than before emerged, slamming the Magic Wolf into the ground with a single blow.
A moment of silence followed. The Magic Wolf slowly stood up from the ground.
Just as Que Tang thought the attack had been ineffective, a howl of agony erupted from the wolf. The steel exterior of the Magic Wolf began to melt into a liquid state.
"Aotian, keep attacking! Your slime liquid can melt it!" Que Tang shouted.
The Hero immediately complied, landing several more punches until the wolf turned into a puddle of molten iron.
The ninja looked at the shrine maiden, and Himiko instantly understood. She pulled a transparent orb from her sleeve. "I choose you, Pokemon!" She used it to reclaim the Gold-attribute magic energy.
Que Tang stood up painfully, slowly walking back to them. "Finally, we’ve collected all seven magic orbs. This is all thanks to you, Aotian. Is that the offensive secret technique you came up with?" Que Tang marveled—as expected of a middle-schooler... to come up with such a method.
"That’s right! That is the attack method I spent all day meditating on. I’m glad it finally worked and allowed us to successfully defeat it and claim the magic orb," the Hero said adorably. "Next, we will surely defeat the Demon King, save this world, and fulfill our mission as adventurers!"
Que Tang had just been batted around like a shuttlecock. Even with her enhanced constitution, she couldn't withstand the physical pain. She couldn't help but cough quietly twice. To avoid causing herself more trouble—like being taken by the shrine maiden for some strange "divine power" healing—she preferred to suffer in silence.
However, Himiko watched Que Tang without a word, silently recording every one of her movements within eyes that had returned to their original ink-black color.
***
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Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 29 | The Final Orb | Novela.app | Novela.app
