Shinka no Mi

Chapter 96 Life Force

「Now then, I want to teach you how to find an evil spirit right away, but…」

The people and I who were proficient in battle including Zeanos started to move so I could learn how to deal with evil spirits ASAP.

Mom and dad along with Nataliana-san and Mary-san were in a place a bit away from us. By the way, Treasure Box was there to be their guard.

「First of all, there is nothing alive in this Netherworld. Do you understand? 」

「Well…」

「That also the case for the trees that grow in the Netherworld and the soil that we stand on right now, everything is equally dead.」

「Eh!?」

Looking around, even though certainly there aren’t any leaves, the trees are standing firm.

However, Zeanos says that these trees are dead.

「Putting aside whether you believe it or not, the trees and the soil from the original world are breathing. Hence, they’re filled with 『Life Force』.」

「Un.」

「However, that would be impossible in the Netherworld. While the surrounding trees do exist, the amount of 『Life Force』 is zero.」

「I see…」

「This is where we’re getting into the main point, what I’m saying is that the Netherworld has zero 『Life Force』 per se. In other words, there shouldn’t be any 『Presence』 to sense.」

「Okay…」

Well, if everything is dead, then certainly you can’t sense a damn thing.

「Normally spirits are the same as the trees in here, they have zero 『Life Force』, but that’s not the case for evil spirits. Those lot, their 『Life Force』 is minus, and instead of the force to live, what resides within them is the force to kill.」

「That is why, if a living person touched them, his 『Life Force』 would be drained out and soon face death. Seiichi-kun you also have to be careful~.」

As a complementation to Lucious’ words, Zeanos-san said something so disturbing.

「Did I, just fight against something so dangerous…」

「Well, if you didn’t know you might get killed easily. But, now that you’ve know it, all you need to do is not touch them. 」

Abel was saying that with a refreshing smile on him, but since I wasn’t a certain Red Comet, I couldn’t be that optimistic.

「At any rate, because the evil spirits’ 『Life Force』 is minus despite the surrounding 『Life Force』 is zero, as long as you could sense 『Life Force』 you’d remember the discomfort they bring.」

「Let’s see… If you were to describe it as a bodily sensation, it would feel like you have goosebumps running up your spine?」

「That’s right, if your body shows a repulsive reaction, that means there’s an evil spirit close by.」

Garus and co. taught me something resembling a trick to do so.

「Well, because we currently obtained temporary 『Life Force』 due to Seiichi-kun’s influence, we’re not exactly a living person. That’s precisely why, without Seiichi-kun’s own power as a genuine living being, It’s assumed that we can’t defeat the Evil Spirit King.」

「I see… Umm, Lucius-san, do you know what kind of being the Evil Spirit King is?」

As I asked one thing I concerned about, Lucius-san gave me a bitter smile.

「Unfortunately, I don’t know all the details. However, it’s certain that he owns an extraordinary amount of negative power.」

「I see…」

Just what kind of thing is this Evil Spirit King, really.

While I was thinking such, all the fighting members except me reacted to something.

「…It seems like they came out while we were talking.」

「Eh. Don’t tell me, it’s….」

「Yeah, evil spirit.」

Even though I haven’t learned how to use 『Life Force』, you already came out. Read the atmosphere a bit won’t you.

As I unconsciously sighed, that eerie creature showed itself before me again.

「Jii」

「There’s an evil spirit right in front of you now, try to feel its peculiar presence. Once you do that, you’ll be able to handle your own 『Life Force』 naturally.」

「Presence…」

Even while I was placing my wary on the evil spirit before me, I concentrated in order to feel the bodily sensation with my own body.

I who’s been relying on skills to sense presences, will I be able to sense them all of a sudden…?

Shaking off such negative thoughts and focused to the occasion, suddenly I felt the feeling that froze my spine.

「!?」

As I unintentionally turned over my shoulders, I found another figure of evil spirit there.

「Seems like you can feel it.」

「Eh? Y, yeah.」

I who didn’t expect I’d actually sense them could only reacted foolishly.

In addition, by being able to sense the evil spirit behind me, I now could feel the evil spirit ahead of me and so on.

Just as what Anna said, the evil spirit on my back gave me goosebumps on my spine so it was easy to tell, and the other evil spirits somehow gave off a bad feeling from their position, it was a really ambiguous sensation.

「Once you could feel the 『Life Force』, you’ll be able to sense the presence of living beings without the help of skill when you return to the previous world. Well, as well as the condition that you’d also sense the trees and soil, so you’d have to train how to sense only your target.」

Are you serious… So you’re saying I have become able to do the same thing as those shaolin masters from Earth…?

Perhaps it would be an impossible feat for the me before I evolved, but thanks to this body which the spec is way off the scale, seems like even someone like me could sense them.

「Once you experienced the 『Life Force』, I’d have you to fight without delay. Well, it’s simple. You only have to flow your 『Life Force』 into each of your attacks and magic.」

「O, okay… Then, how do I flow my 『Life Force』?」

「Guts.」

「You kidding me!?」

So what next after sensationalism is guts-o-lism huh! It really isn’t kind for beginners is it!

「No, but, like… isn’t there one? A trick or something!」

「Even if give me that… I could use it from the get-go, so I have nothing to say.」

「I hate you geniuses!」

Damn it! It’s completely can’t be counted on then! Is it really possible to defeat the evil spirits like this?

「Jii」

「Owaah!? Wai… It’s dangerous to attack so suddenly! What would you do if I was injured!」

「Jii」

「I told you! Stop! The attack!? Didn’t your mother teach you to not attack people!?」

「…Awesome. He’s preaching morals to an evil spirit…」

I kept evading the flying lasers that came one after another with acrobatic movements.

Looking at me, my parents nodded.

「I see… Seiichi, you want to be a stuntman in the future don’t you.」

「I don’t though!?」

「My. Then a circus’ acrobat it is!」

「Both is wrong!」

「Jii」

「Can’t you wait while we’re talking!?」

「Seiichi-dono… just what are you expecting from an evil spirit…」

Damn right!

But now that I think of it, I never told my parents about my future dreams.

In all honesty, I was bullied all the time, so I never had the room to think about it, but now I ponder it calmly, it’s feels really lonesome.

…Although it’s an hypothetical talk, I wonder what would I do if I was still living on Earth?

I honestly think the past me wouldn’t be able to do anything, but it will be different for the current me.

Well, it’s an hypothetical talk, thinking about it right now.

「Rather than that, there really isn’t a trick? I’ll have to continue dodging if that’s the case though?」

As I asked that all the while dodging with weird postures, Abel and Anna taught me of their own respective feelings.

「You’re right… But, I myself think guts isn’t necessarily the wrong way to put it.」

「That’s true. Since 『Life Force』 is the power of the living, so won’t guts be included in that? 」

「At any rate, you only have to try! What, we’re here to help if you fail!」

「Eeh…」

Even if I was bewildered, I who weirdly got convinced because guts held no meaning if you weren’t alive decided to just put my guts into it.

「HAAAAAAAAHH!!!」

Rather than putting my guts into it, it would be more accurate to say I strained my whole body and put my strength to use.

——That being said, I’d be damned if I could learn it only by doing this——.

「Ji!? Ji——」

「Jii! Ji——」

The moment I thought so, some unidentified power explosively overflowed from my own body.

In a blink, the evil spirits near me vanished without trace after raising their astonishment.

「Hah?」

「Ooh, there you can do it!」

「To think you would blast the evil spirit not using your attack but pure 『Life Force』’s shockwave… Completely unordinary aren’t you.」

Lucius-san laughed carefreely, but to me it was not the time for that.

What the hell, blasted away!?

Ain’t that weird!? They easily bounced my attacks when we first fought! Now what? They all got blasted away by some strange power I don’t even understand!

As I got stormy on my own, Abel and his group spoke while cold sweats poured down their backs.

「Oi oi… What a ridiculous 『Life Force』… 」

「Yeah… And that too, was nothing but the burst of the overflowing 『Life Force』 Seiichi has in him… so to speak, only the shockwave of the excess of his 『Life Force』…」

「Indeed, the 『Life Force』 that is still contained within his body is stronger, isn’t it?」

「That is so… The stuff that overflowed from his body was the unnecessary parts of the 『Life Force』 he has. Originally it should be nigh-impossible to possess it in that amount, save annihilating evil spirits only with its shockwave… 」

「Are you really a human? Seiichi…」

I’m the one who wants to know that the most!

Isn’t my body producing result more than what is expected!? I’m gradually moving further away from humanity aren’t I!?

No, I know it’s not impossible if you consider my status! But it’s still terrible!

As I was drowning in this inexpressible emotion, Nataliana-san who watched us from a place a little further away from here raised her voice in admiration.

「Haah… I sure was surprised. The 『Life Force』 that flowed out from Seiichi-san was no different from that of nature itself…」

「Was that so? I could not perceive it other than a mighty 『Life Force』…」

「That’s normally the case. I was making a living as a florist in my previous life, that’s why I’m more sensitive to Nature’s 『Life Force』 than most people. Precisely for that reason, I am surprised by Seiichi-san’s 『Life Force』 is no different from that of nature.」

「I see…」

Listening to Mary-san and Nataliana-san’s conversation, I got even more confused of Nataliana-san’s identity.

A florist? Just where did she have contact with me? I seriously can’t fathom… .

「Oh my, Makoto-san! Did you hear it? Seiichi is one with nature!」

「Umu. Becoming one with nature, Seiichi is an indispensable existence isn’t he. As expected of our son.」

「You’re wrong! No, I’m your son though!」

I’m not such an extravagant existence! I’m just your average joe! I don’t have the confidence to say that though!

「Seiichi-dono. Have you understood how to attack with 『Life Force』?」

「I understand but I can’t handle it!」

I know it’s very effective against evil spirits, but that isn’t the normal way to use it is it? I want to know how to handle it normally!

「I see… Then, let’s continue the actual combat. It’s fine, the current Seiichi-dono can even defeat the Evil Spirit King.」

「Is there even a meaning for the fight if it’s like that!?」

There were only places to tsukkomi no matter how I saw it, but I still followed Zeanos’ words and managed to master fighting against the evil spirits with『Life Force』.