Chapter 17: Guess Where the Golden Feather Grows
Natsuba Hanae looked at the figure collapsed before her, then at the long trail of blood stretching into the distance.
She lightly touched her finger to her lips, a glint of interest in her red eyes.
Good perseverance and talent.
Next, she needed to assess her character.
Chikari Makoto, seeing Natsuba Hanae’s gesture, mimicked it, lightly touching her finger to her own lips. She always thought this move was incredibly cool!
So, whenever she got excited in battle, she would do it.
Seeing that Natsuba Hanae was still lost in thought…
Chikari Makoto grew bored.
She looked at Number Six lying on the ground, squatted down, picked up a twig, and poked her occasionally.
Seeing the dense scars, enough to make anyone with trypophobia’s skin crawl, she frowned.
Although she was used to killing…
She had never seen this kind of torture.
Then, Natsuba Hanae spoke softly,
“Makoto, heal her with a Golden Feather.”
Chikari Makoto’s hand trembled, and the twig fell to the ground.
Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Natsuba Hanae.
Golden Feathers were one of the Ijishin’s abilities. Three golden feathers would grow on her body each month.
These feathers had special properties.
They were miniature, all-purpose wish-granting devices.
Within reason, any wish made upon a Golden Feather would be granted.
The masks they had pulled from their skirts earlier were one of the products of Chikari Makoto’s wishes upon a Golden Feather.
Of course, the items granted weren’t permanent; they had a time limit.
The duration depended on Chikari Makoto’s power and the item’s strength.
Healing, however, was an exception.
Previously, Chikari Makoto had used her Golden Feathers on herself after training to reduce hidden injuries and accelerate recovery.
She only had one Golden Feather left this month.
This meant Natsuba Hanae was asking her to forgo a slight increase in her own power and choose to save this unrelated person.
Chikari Makoto was naturally unwilling, even resentful.
But…
This was Mom’s order.
Mom’s orders were absolute.
Strictly speaking, everything she had belonged to Mom.
She pursed her lips, pouted slightly, and replied,
“Okay.”
Chikari Makoto pulled out the last Golden Feather from inside her skirt. Its brilliant golden color shone brightly even in the darkness.
Despite her reluctance, she focused her mind on directing the feather’s power.
Then, she gently released it.
The Golden Feather slowly drifted down, landing on Number Six’s body.
The moment it touched her, it exploded into countless golden particles, then surged into Number Six’s body.
Like long-awaited rain on parched earth, Number Six’s body eagerly absorbed the Golden Feather’s power.
The scars on her hands healed visibly.
The Golden Feather’s effects didn’t stop there. It also healed the damage caused by Number Six’s overuse of her abilities.
Unfortunately, there was only one feather; it only healed a small portion of the damage before disappearing.
Chikari Makoto was surprised and confused.
“Her ability is so depleted, yet she’s still alive!”
“But…”
“Why is her ability so depleted? She’s a C-rank user.”
Being a C-rank meant she was capable of hunting supernatural beings independently and replenishing her power with supernatural materials, gradually increasing her level.
Yet Number Six’s body was like a withered field, practically devoid of energy.
This was highly unusual.
As Chikari Makoto pondered, Natsuba Hanae’s voice softly explained,
“She’s a discarded member of the Nenba branch.”
Chikari Makoto instantly understood, looking at Number Six’s body with pity.
As a branch family under the Natsuba conglomerate, she was naturally aware of the Nenba branch’s situation.
But since it was an internal matter, other branches couldn’t interfere. Without intervention from the main family, no one would intervene.
Otherwise, they would be easily accused of inciting chaos within the Natsuba family and punished according to family law.
However, the situation was far more severe than she had imagined.
They really weren’t treating supernatural users as human beings.
As they spoke…
Number Six felt a warmth spreading through her body, a sense of peace like being full and basking in the sun.
It had been so long since she had felt this way.
She couldn’t help but revel in the sensation.
As her senses sharpened, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her body felt incredibly light.
As if a heavy burden had been lifted, she felt completely rejuvenated.
Then, she looked at her hands.
The dense scars were completely gone, and her dark eyes instantly became clear and bright.
She quickly noticed the two girls in front of her.
One was dressed as a maid, the other in an elegant, black dress that revealed her shapely legs, covered in sheer black stockings.
Her aura was refined and noble.
Both wore bird masks, but clearly, the silver-haired girl was the leader. So, Number Six, accustomed to observing others for survival, focused her attention on Natsuba Hanae.
The improvement in her own condition was obvious.
She lowered her gaze and bowed her head.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Then, snapping back to reality, Number Six quickly assessed the situation.
The Half-Calamity level supernatural being and the Nenba brothers were locked in battle. Either side could arrive here at any moment.
Although these two girls had saved her, indicating they were likely healers or possessed healing talismans or items…
Despite their bird masks, they were only around twenty years old and definitely no match for the Half-Calamity level being or the Nenba brothers.
Leaving them would undoubtedly increase her chances of survival.
But…
A struggle flashed in Number Six’s eyes, then turned into resolve.
“I don’t have time to explain.”
“But please trust me, we need to leave here immediately!”
“Run as fast as you can!!!”
Leave a Reply