Fujishima's Maiden 19: Be Honest...

Sally

Fujishima Estate: Sawako’s Household

Sally carefully watched the spider that Sawako just tamed a long time ago on the summoning portal. She was reading about what changes happened around the spider but it was strong as if Sawako was not its tamer at all. She sighed and called the spider’s name that Sawako literally called it.

“Arachne.” Sally leave her be and mentioned the name of the spider who jolted before walking up back to where it was being summoned. It looked directly at her before it shivers.

‘It’s been a while, milady.’

“Why can’t respond immediately to your tamer?” with a curious tone, Sally asked the spider who seems like it was only answering to a powerful master.

‘She was not strong enough to wield the enormous power that I have to divide into portions just to meet her halfway but it was tiresome.’

“Why you did not tell me? If you did I will find a rightful master for you.” Sawako said when she heard the reason for the beast that she managed to tame it.

‘Then you will risk those people that I might end up eating if they could not meet my standards.’

“It was indeed a give and take when a beast was being sealed and tamed.” Sally said in understanding before she turned to the spider before them.

“Shift in your size.” Sally wanted to see the full size of the spider if she was indeed that strong that Sawako could not contain much in one piece.

‘This is my ultimate shift after that incident. I already evolved but I stopped because my master could not keep you with my growing power and I could not eat her since every beast within this household was bound not to hurt anyone inside.’

“Sawako, release her. Don’t worry, there’s a worthy master for her.” Upon hearing that, Sally turned to Sawako and asked the spider to be released.

‘I will take you as my mistress, milady.’

“You already are doing that.” Sally was indeed nonchalant when she said that to the spider who seems like amused by the reaction of hers.

Then without wasting any more moments there, Sawako trusted Sally and released the spider that they’ve sealed a long time ago. When the summoned portal beneath the spider released all the stuck power that it said was being divided, it was indeed swirling around the spider and Sawako. But over Sawako’s spot, the same sealing pentagram showed up in front of her and with one snap of her finger, it immediately went off. This means the seal or the binding between familiar and master was now dismissed or vanished. Doing so, automatically shows the power of the spider that has been divided into one whole beast. It roared making the air around the household was turning into a very foul scent and poisonous scent that could decay anything. Then the true form of the spider was now the Arachne type of spider yet there was something suddenly happening around its body.

Sally noticed it was shifting into something powerful which made her start to sense where was the trigger coming from and then a smirk suddenly formed at the right corner of her lip.

“SALLY! EXPLAIN TO ME HOW LONG YOU AND MOM KNEW EACH OTHER?!” then there was the cause, a raging temper from a newly anointed shrine maiden that has the name of Mikage, who came on shouting directly at her. Sally was expecting a shout but instead, she was just like her mother suddenly attacking her head which she had no idea that Mikage can do.

Mikage came on rushing to her and instead of straight charging from the front, Mikage used the wall of her parent’s house and flip herself to attack Sally through mid-air. Sally found it remarkable yet it was still readable. She could see where she was going to land and managed to block them. but even if it was being blocked, there was a follow-up attack from another knee kick before another roundhouse kick then a hammer. Only if Sally was an ordinary person she could not keep up with how fast Mikage's moves were but Sally managed to block everything that she gave to her. but everything came to a halt when the spider was done shifting into its human form because of the presence of Mikage.

‘Her?’

“Yes, her.” Sally answered as she quickly grabbed Mikage’s wrist and pulled her quickly which made her face to face with just an inch gap in between them. Mikage immediately blush and it was enough to answer Sally to release her mate before she does something she won’t be able to understand at all.

When she released Mikage from that hold, Mikage composed herself and turned to where the voice came from. She was a bit pissed since she was not done talking to Sally when it interrupted her.

“YOU! YOU’RE THAT BEAST THAT ALMOST KILLS MY MOTHER!” As soon as Mikage saw the monster in the human figure, she began to snap again when she sense the same fear that she felt when she almost lost her mother because of it and her.

‘Well, you two suddenly came into my lair which I have to defend.’

“YOU STILL INTEND TO KILL US BACK THERE! IF SALLY DID NOT COME AND HELP MY MOTHER WHEN I SHOULD BE THE ONE WHO’S DOING THAT.” Mikage was about to attack it recklessly with mixed emotions of fear and anger from that moment.

‘Right, you’re still young back then and still delicious.’

‘Don’t you dare lay a finger on my maiden, spider?’

‘Still delicious.’

‘WHY YOU!’

“Enough both of you.” Sally commanded the two beasts with her powerful imperious voice that made them shiver and listened to her. They both gave up and went into their silence.

“Mikage, can you handle the spider queen?” Sally turned to Mikage who seems lost to what Sally was just asked her there.

“I think I can but be honest with me, what’s your connection to my mother?” she answered with half attention since there was still something really bugging her before she could even think about dealing with it.

Sawako found it amusing while she sat on the porch drinking her second cup of tea. Sally turned and looked at Mikage who made a gulp as she tried to read the possible answer she could give to her. Sally was just staring at her and she was noticing the aura of Mikage have multiple colors but some of it was totally bright and shining. Sally sigh before she pointed Mikage’s mother’s direction and she nodded then there goes another sigh from Sally.

“She helped me once when I suddenly crashed into the warehouse of the Fujishima’s shrine one night. I was hiding from the hunting orbs. I was badly injured already and also in the middle of recovery when they came and charge me. Good thing the shrine was not far and they could not enter any hallowed ground that was being protected by an ancestral shrine maiden.” Sally started answering the question of Mikage who began on listening attentively to her. Hiroshi came out from the house and sat behind his wife yet started listening.

“Your mother healed me up secretly but his annoying fiancé came and that’s the first time I saw a maiden punch a man and knocked him out. Did something to the man and make him forget about my appearance there. I let myself be invincible to anyone that I don’t want them to see me but Sawako did and even not hesitating on aiding my wounds. Ever since then, I kept watching her and who would have thought that meeting led me on meeting you.” Sawako chuckled as leaned her back against her husband when Sally mentioned that part. It was a funny memory that Sawako could not forget. Ever since that moment, she has had this urge of hurting Hiroshi especially when he lamely proposed to her.

“So now can you answer me honestly, can you be the maiden of that spider beast since she’s a queen and about to evolve into a divine beast of spiders?” Sally was being serious when she repeated her question once again to Mikage as soon as she gave her answer.

Mikage looked over the spider and stared at it very long until Sally covered her eyes. Sally immediately healed Mikage’s eyes who seems have no idea what just happened there. Mikage slapped the hands of Sally and glared at her but it did not stay that long and just looked puzzled at what Sally just did.

“Don’t stare into the beast’s eyes that long if you don’t have any intention of taming it. You’re going to challenge their spirits against yours. And having not that kind of intention, you can lose your sight. Do you understand?” Sally explained to her the reason why she has to cover her eyes and heals them at the same time.

“I…I did not know about it.” Mikage nodded yet she has never heard of it before that’s why she has no clue about what she was suddenly doing wrong.

“Sawako…” when Sally heard that response from Mikage, there was a flick of rage coming from Sally as she called the name of Sawako. She immediately gets up from her seat since she knew well not to piss Sally much.

“It was advanced learning that’s why she has no clue about it. we don’t teach anyone about it until we saw that they were ready on performing it.” Sawako honestly answered about the rules of learning advanced shrine maiden skills against beasts.

“You knew better Sawako. She manages to summon a duke and is mated to me. You should know that she needs to learn in advance. Don’t treat her like any other shrine maiden around her. You knew better Sawako or do you want me to challenge it.” Sally pointed out as the rage around her was getting furious which made Sawako sense a threat coming from her.

“Are you daring me, Sal?” Sawako went into her shrine maiden mode as guarded already. She knew Sally's power and it was a deadly serious topic when Sally snapped.