Chapter 35: Ways to Get Closer to the Priestess

"Izumi, once the monster is let in, you guard the entrance."

Just after entering the Sealed Demon Cave, Shishou instructed Izumi.

"Yes."

Uchiha Izumi responded, jumped off the centipede, and hid beside the entrance.

"Izumi?"

"Is that her real name?"

Seeing Izumi leave, the priestess asked curiously.

"Yes, but you have to keep it a secret."

"What's your real name, Mr. Lurigan?"

"You can call me Shishou."

The priestess was silent for a moment, sighed, and said,

"Mr. Shishou, you trust me too much."

"To gain someone's trust, you must first give your own."

Shishou smiled at the priestess and added, "So, I will always trust you, Priestess."

Hearing this ambiguous statement, the priestess Miroku blushed slightly, turned her face away, and said no more.

Now, even though it was a life-and-death moment, for some reason, she didn't feel the least bit nervous or worried.

The priestess knew that it was Shishou's confidence that had influenced her, making her feel this way.

Upon entering the inner part of the Sealed Demon Cave, the priestess Miroku quickly began to set up the magic circle.

Shishou observed the cave's surroundings, occasionally glancing at the priestess as she calmly set up the magic circle.

He couldn't understand the sealing techniques she was using, so after surveying the cave, he decided to watch the priestess herself more closely...

"Mr. Shishou, the sealing circle is set up, but it will take some time to activate."

"You might need to hold off the monster for ten minutes."

The priestess, after setting up the magic circle, walked over to Shishou and said nervously.

Holding off that monster for ten minutes was obviously no easy task.

"Don't worry."

"My little centipede might not be good at many things, but it can take a beating."

"Delaying time is no problem."

"When it comes to taking hits, it's the best. A single monster is nothing to worry about."

Shishou crossed his arms, answering with great confidence.

"Hehehe~"

Seeing Shishou shamelessly claim that his centipede could take a beating, the priestess couldn't help but laugh, and her nervousness disappeared instantly.

Boom~

A loud noise came from outside the cave, followed by continuous shaking of the ground.

The priestess Miroku quickly walked to the center of the sealing circle and reminded,

"The monster is here."

Shishou disappeared in a flash, canceling the summoning of the red-armored centipede, ready to ambush the monster.

Soon, the monster's massive body squeezed through the cave entrance, quickly occupying most of it.

Entering the cave, the monster's eyes on its human head stared straight at the priestess Miroku inside.

"Miroku."

"Miroku..."

"Miroku..."

The eerie voice of the monster kept calling the priestess's name, quickly approaching her.

"Miroku, today, you finally belong to me."

"Let's merge into one."

As the monster spoke, it immediately lunged towards the priestess in the center of the circle.

Summoning Jutsu!

Seeing the monster so impatient, Shishou appeared, summoning the centipede to block the priestess.

The monster collided with the giant centipede, stunned to find such a creature hidden inside the cave.

Shishou didn't waste words, directing the red-armored centipede to tightly bind the monster, restricting its movements.

"You dare..."

The monster, enraged, emitted an unusually evil chakra, fiercely resisting.

Boom~~

Watching the monster and centipede entangle, Shishou frowned.

His summoned centipede was only a third of the monster's size, making suppression impossible.

Mangekyō Sharingan · Body Enlargement!

Shishou's right eye's Sharingan spun rapidly, causing the red-armored centipede to grow until it matched the monster's size.

The priestess Miroku stared blankly at the centipede doubling in size, clearly not expecting such an ability.

Boom~

The red-armored centipede and the monster, both snake-like creatures, soon entangled in a fierce battle, producing deafening noises.

From a distance, Shishou threw several shuriken, hitting the monster accurately.

The shuriken, infused with destructive bugs, began to devour the monster's chakra under Shishou's control.

However, the monster's body was covered in corrosive liquids, quickly dissolving the bugs as if they were dropped in strong acid.

Seeing the bugs unable to devour the monster, Shishou felt disappointed.

This meant his plan to use the monster to feed the bugs had failed.

Despite the centipede now being equal in size to the monster, it soon regained the upper hand.

The red-armored centipede's shell began to corrode and wouldn't last long.

Shishou flashed beside the priestess Miroku, standing in front of her.

"Mr. Shishou, the sealing circle needs another five minutes to fully activate."

The priestess, noticing the centipede's struggle, reminded.

"Don't worry, Priestess, I have other methods."

Shishou smiled at the priestess, then turned to the centipede, his right eye's Sharingan spinning again.

The next second, the centipede grew larger, successfully suppressing the monster.

At this point, Shishou had enlarged the centipede to its limit, able to maintain it for only about ten minutes.

But this was enough for the priestess.

"No....."

Seeing its opponent grow stronger again, the monster struggled desperately.

Then, it quickly secreted a thick black liquid, melting itself into a pool of dark fluid to escape the centipede's grip.

The melted monster reformed into a multi-headed slime creature, rushing towards Shishou and the priestess.

Seeing the approaching monster, the priestess Miroku clung tightly to Shishou's clothes, extremely nervous.

Unable to move and activate the sealing circle, she couldn't help Shishou at all.

Shishou frowned, surprised by the monster's ability, forming a hand seal to control the centipede for a counterattack.

Booming sounds followed as the centipede swiftly surrounded Shishou and the priestess, coiling layer upon layer, forming a protective barrier.

The centipede formed a circular shield, firmly guarding Shishou and the priestess inside.

Seeing the centipede's actions, the monster roared and attacked it, producing loud noises.

Bang!

Bang!

Hearing the attacks, the priestess Miroku didn't know how long the centipede could hold out, tightly gripping Shishou's clothes, every second feeling like an eternity.

Suddenly, she felt her hand being held. Looking up, Shishou smiled at her, comforting,

"Priestess, don't worry."

"As long as I'm here, I will protect you."

Perhaps influenced by Shishou's confident smile, the priestess Miroku felt reassured, letting him hold her hand, quietly waiting.

Seeing the priestess not letting go, Shishou felt pleased, turning to watch the centipede overhead seriously.

If it couldn't hold on, he would use Susanoo.

However, given the current situation conducive to improving his relationship with the priestess, he had stayed.

All of this was worthwhile.

At least he had successfully held the priestess's hand, and she was willing to let him hold it.