Along the timeline, this side story happened during the time Ichinosuke met Libra.
Side Story 「Miri and the Goddesses」
She ― Kusunoki Miri was in a white space.
She was not uneasy or anything in particular.
There were 2 Goddesses who were waiting for her there.
Both of them were faces that she knew ― but it was the first time she met them directly, face-to-face.
In front of her was a plump girl and a girl about the same age as her.
She has seen both of them as Goddess statues but Miri thought to herself that they really resemble them.
Just now it was described that there were 2 people but to be accurate, it should have been described as 2 Goddesses. (TL: This sentence doesn’t really translate well into English because Japanese has counters for people and items unlike English. The counter he used just now was the counter for people but the counter he mentioned now is the counter for Gods.)
Those girls were Goddesses.
“I met Goddess Krail 1000 years ago but is she not around? Goddess Koshmar and Goddess Torerul. This is quite a good treatment for 2 Goddesses to take charge of a mere middle school girl. Is this the usual treatment for Wanderers? Or did you come to kill me because it will be a bad if I reincarnate? If so, I will not show mercy even if my opponents are Goddesses.”
Miri said and spread both arms.
Her body slowly rotated in that gravity-less world.
No, maybe the 2 Goddesses are the ones rotating while she’s the one remaining in place ― Miri thought in a corner of a corner of her mind as she confirmed the power gathering in her hands.
When her view of the 2 Goddesses was turned upside down, black spheres of the size of baseballs appeared on both her palms.
Their destructive power is nothing special.
Even if they are dropped on school grounds, it’s not like the school premise would disappear.
However, their penetrative power is tremendous.
It’s a sharpness that ends with either a hot spring gushing out or magma gushing out if dropped into the ground.
Darkness spheres that swallow everything ― it’s a skill that Miri used when she was called Famiris‧Raritei.
Of course, the 2 Goddesses knew of it too.
Sweat slightly formed on Torerul’s forehead.
Naturally, Miri did not miss that.
“I see … as expected, Goddesses can be killed too.”
Miri remarked before the 2 Darkness spheres disappeared.
“I’d like to thank you. Onii ― thank you for helping brother. That act just now was revenge for ruining all the photo memories I had with brother and I didn’t intend to go any further. Ah, this, it’s just something trifling but I prepared it for you.”
From the subspace made with Space-time magic, she took out a gift-wrapped box from a paper bag and passed it to the Goddesses.
“Inside is chocolate from a famous shop in Ginza.”
Koshmar accepted the chocolate that was held out and pointed out what Miri had done.
“As you have confirmed just now, Space-time magic can be used even within this space ― just like how Summoning magic is possible too, Kusunoki Miri-san.”
“I have no ulterior motive. That chocolate is really just a gift. If you 2 obediently send me to reincarnate to Otherworld, the place where you sent Onii to.”
Miri said as she showed a smile.
However, her eyes were totally not smiling.
Time lapsed in silence for a brief period.
“Of course, we will reincarnate you. Even if we, even if the world of Otherworld doesn’t wish for your reincarnation, it is still the rule of the world. However, currently a small problem has occurred so could you please wait a moment?”
“Really? That’s great. I don’t really feel like I can win against Koshmar-sama even if I seriously try. Though I think I can have a good match with the small one there. Right? Goddess-san who has the same twin-tail hairstyle as me?”
Miri declared and stared at Torerul.
Upon doing so, Torerul who had been keeping quiet the whole time,
“I, if I go all out, I can show you how I down you with just a single pinky.” (TL: She changed the way she referred to herself from the regular ‘I’ to the ‘I’ used by kings/queens. Translators usually translate it as ‘we’ but it would be slightly confusing here so I left it as ‘I’)
“Wow, that sounds like quite a champion of the end of the century. As expected of Goddess-sama.” (TL: It’s either a reference to Fist of the North Star or just a way of sarcastically praising her)
“Of course. In the first place, your brother is able to live an amusing life in Otherworld thanks to the blessing I gave him.”
“I see. For reference, could you tell me what blessings did Onii receive? If you gave Onii some weak blessing ― ”
Heat abruptly rose to Miri’s face.
She opened her eyes wide and gave off an air that allowed no room for jokes. No, that bloodcurdling look should already be called a ghastly compelling force.
“Death. Even if you’re a Goddess, I’ll kill you.”
The 2 felt her distorted love towards her brother and felt that they have seen for the first time the true essence of the girl named Kusunoki Miri. Especially Torerul, she shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if she gave the 「Street Performer job release」 blessing that she gave to some other person at some other place previously instead.
In response to Miri’s question, the 2 Goddesses answered respectively with the blessings that they gave.
Miri burst into laughter the moment after she heard their replies.
Author’s note:
Libra was the one who attended to Ichinosuke instead of the other 2 he met before because they were busy with receiving Miri.
In terms of strength, Koshmar>Libra>Torerul≒Demon Lord in their prime.