On the Aquabus leaving Romaritime Harbor...
For some reason, Furina wasn't saying much this time. She was just quietly gazing at the scenery, lost in thought.
[How... um... with what kind of mindset can you say those things in front of so many people?]
After holding it in for a while, Momoshiki finally asked what was on his mind.
When it came to social butterflies, Momoshiki was throwing in the towel. If he had to read that kind of script in front of so many people, he'd rather jump off the stage and give everyone a Leap of Faith performance.
He just couldn't do it.
"Huh?" Furina blinked her wide, innocent eyes, then sighed softly.
"I can't help it. They like this kind of Hydro Archon, so I have to act this way."
"Being stared at by so many people makes me nervous, makes me a little incoherent, but it's been 500 years. I'm used to it by now."
[Impressive.]
...
A seagull landed on the Aquabus, not afraid of people. It came right up to Furina. It might have been the same one from before.
Momoshiki, bored in the Kamui Dimension, had been playing with a Crimson Spiral in his Susanoo for a while. Eventually, he got bored and lay down on a pile of stone pillars.
Their destination this time was the Opera Epiclese, which was quite a distance from Romaritime Harbor. They probably wouldn't get there until the afternoon.
Lyney had a magic show there, and the Chief Justice Neuvillette was said to be in the audience. Furina definitely wasn't going to miss this opportunity.
[Is there anything fun at the Opera Epiclese?]
"Fun? Are you bored in the Kamui Dimension?"
Furina rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"How about a famous Fontaine mystery novel?"
[Novels? Sure, that's better than endless rocks.]
The system had given Momoshiki all sorts of powerful abilities, but it hadn't given him the mental fortitude to match. After the novelty of the Kamui Dimension wore off, it felt like being in prison.
A normal person couldn't handle being here for long. It was too boring and depressing. It would drive them crazy.
As for the system space, don't even ask. A dog wouldn't want to be there.
So, having something entertaining to pass the time was the best thing.
"I'll buy you a few novels when I get to the opera house. I'll get you some other stuff too."
[Thanks.]
"You don't need to thank me. You've helped me a lot too. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do."
...
The Aquabus traveled for a long time. All around them was an endless expanse of ocean, with gentle ripples stirred by the breeze. Occasionally, a few uniquely shaped fish leaped out of the water.
The people of Fontaine had built such a long railway on the sea. It was a miracle, given their level of technology.
Speaking of technology, Fontaine's tech seemed to have gone in a weird direction. There were all sorts of patrol robots on the streets, and many kinds of unique mechanical creations.
There were controllable streetlights on the roadside, and even vending machines selling water were everywhere.
It looked very advanced, but they didn't even have cell phones.
Maybe she'd been sitting for too long, but Furina was feeling bored. She wanted to stand up and stretch, but Clorinde stopped her.
"Lady Furina, please sit still. Be careful not to fall off the boat."
"Okay, okay, I got it."
Furina drooped her head dejectedly and quietly sat back down.
Seeing that Furina didn't say anything more, Clorinde was puzzled.
What was wrong with Lady Furina? Why was she being so agreeable all of a sudden? Was her tone too harsh?
Probably not.
Clorinde is questioning herself...
Even Furina herself hadn't noticed that she wasn't as haughty as she used to be. It was like she was trying to be her true self again.
Maybe this was the effect of being honest with Momoshiki about everything.
"Hey, Momoshiki, can you tell me about your past?"
Furina rested her chin on her hand, leaning on the edge of the Aquabus, and asked curiously in her mind.
[My past? Why are you suddenly interested in that?]
"I'm pretty bored right now. It's still a while before we get to the opera house. And you're so strong. It's only natural to be curious, right?"
What Furina said made sense. Curiosity was human nature. It was perfectly normal.
[Alright then.]
Momoshiki carefully went over the plot in his mind, organizing his thoughts into a few short sentences.
[Since you want to know, I'll tell you plainly.]
Hearing Momoshiki agree, Furina perked up and sat up straight, listening carefully, afraid of missing any details.
[We, the Otsutsuki clan, are a cosmic race. We don't have a fixed home. We usually conquer a planet and live there for thousands of years.]
[In the words of the inhabitants of other planets, we're probably just troublesome aliens. We've always plundered the chakra of other planets, evolving by devouring the Divine Tree fruit.]
Furina lowered her eyes slightly, a look of disbelief flashing across her beautiful face.
Even now, Furina still couldn't accept or believe that Momoshiki was a villain who destroyed other people's homes.
He didn't seem like a villain at all.
[I was supposed to continue living that kind of life, until I came to a blue planet with a subordinate. That's when everything changed.]
[The people there had a very special power. Water Dragon Bullet, Susanoo... all of that came from that planet.]
"!!!"
Furina, who was listening intently, was startled. A bad feeling washed over her. She seemed to have guessed what was going to happen next.
[That planet had a problem. Kaguya, the Otsutsuki who was supposed to be guarding it, didn't report it. So, my subordinate and I suspected something had happened to Kaguya and went to investigate.]
[We arrived and learned that Kaguya had fallen in love with a human, so she betrayed the Otsutsuki. The Divine Tree had been split into nine Tailed Beasts.]
[So, we wanted to reclaim the Tailed Beast chakra and replant the Divine Tree. We fought the strong people of that planet, but unfortunately, we lost.]
[I was defeated by a group of troublesome guys working together. As I was dying, I crossed worlds and came here, possessing you. That's how things are now.]
Furina was a little dazed. She sighed softly.
Just as she'd suspected, Momoshiki had been defeated while invading another planet.
Why did it have to be like this...?
The person inside her was an invader, the enemy was a guardian... As Momoshiki's jinchuriki, Furina didn't know which side she should be on.
[But it was a blessing in disguise. I somehow gained a little thing that can accelerate time and create life force. That means I don't need to devour living planets anymore.]
[That's about it. You should be able to understand easily, right?]
"Yeah..."
Furina nodded, feeling conflicted. It felt like there were two little people fighting in her heart.
One was telling her to be wary of Momoshiki, the other was telling her to change Momoshiki, to believe he could be a good Otsutsuki.
[What are you thinking about?]
Hearing Furina's thoughts, Momoshiki's forehead developed a few black lines.
[I don't need to destroy living planets anymore. That's a common redemption arc in novels, right?]
Hearing Momoshiki say that, Furina remembered that he could hear her thoughts. She gave an embarrassed giggle.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely believe you. Just now... uh..."
"I was just thinking nonsense! Don't mind it!!"
[Whatever. Think what you want.]
Momoshiki was feeling a little tired. He decided to give up.
Even if he didn't explain, some of the misunderstandings would clear up on their own over time. There was no need to waste his breath.
As for why he hadn't made up a fake identity, the main reason was that it was too much trouble. Also, he didn't know how to unlock the remaining panels.
What if he needed to go back to the ninja world and forcibly take over someone's body? All those lies would be exposed.
Momoshiki is giving up.jpg
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