Chapter 44 – A SHEPHERD FOR MY WANDERING GOD

【Reina PoV】

My god had a new sacred trial for me.

We stood at the precipice, the world of mortals behind us and the path of our divine mission ahead. Kenji looked at a useless piece of paper, his eyes seeing only ink and lines. My Ryuuji-kun looked into the soul of the forest itself, his gaze already following threads of fate the rest of us could not perceive. Daisuke stood, a silent pillar of faith. And I stood at my rightful place, by his side.

“Okay, team.”

Kenji folded the map, the sound a sharp crack in the reverent silence.

“The rune was somewhere in the northern woods. That narrows it down to about a hundred square miles.”

A hundred square miles. A thousand. It did not matter. My Ryuuji-kun would lead us. He always did. He saw the path that was hidden from lesser eyes. His path was the only one that mattered.

“We should split up. It would be more efficient.”

The words were a test. A beautiful, perfect test of our devotion. He was asking us if we would abandon him, if we would choose the cold logic of efficiency over the sacred duty of protecting him. Kenji’s immediate, horrified refusal filled my heart with a quiet warmth. He was a fool, but he was a loyal fool.

“Absolutely not! Ryuuji, that’s too dangerous. We stick together. We don’t leave anyone behind.”

I placed my hand on my god’s arm, my touch a silent vow.

“He’s right, Ryuuji-kun. I will not allow you to go off on your own.”

He had given the test, and we had passed. I saw the faint, pleased light in his eyes. He sighed, a sound of perfect, feigned disappointment. He was playing his part, the reckless genius restrained by his loyal but less-enlightened followers.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just got ahead of myself.”

Kenji’s face softened. He did not understand the game, but he felt the truth of Ryuuji-kun’s greatness.

“That’s our Ryuuji. Always thinking of the most effective solution, even if it’s risky. Your strategic mind is a gift.”

It was not a gift. It was divinity. I looked at him, my heart a pure, steady flame of devotion.

“So, which way do we go, Ryuuji-kun? Your instincts are always correct.”

He pointed. Not at a path, not at a landmark. He pointed into the deep, untamed heart of the woods. He was not choosing a direction. He was creating one. The world would bend to his will.

“That way. I feel a strange energy coming from over there.”

Kenji’s face lit up with the simple, beautiful faith of a child.

“Of course! The path of most resistance! A true hero’s path! An excellent choice, Ryuuji!”

I squeezed his arm, my pride so fierce it was a physical ache in my chest.

“I knew you would know.”

I leaned in, my voice a soft prayer meant only for him.

“You have a little fuzz on your collar.”

My fingers brushed against the warm skin of his neck. It was a sacred touch. In my other hand, hidden from view, was my little shadow. A tiny, iridescent beetle, its shell shimmering with a dozen silent promises. A guardian. A prayer given form. A piece of my devotion that could watch over him when I could not.

With a touch as light as a thought, I placed it on his collar. It clung instantly, a living jewel, my secret vow made manifest. He felt the barest tickle of its presence, a faint whisper of my constant, unwavering vigilance.

“Thanks.”

His voice was a perfect, innocent squeak. He did not know. He did not need to know. He just needed to be safe. My little shadow would ensure it.

The forest was a cathedral, and we were following its saint.

We walked in his footsteps, the woods growing darker, more solemn around us. The air was cool and still. It felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting for him to pass. Kenji followed with the blind faith of a true believer. Daisuke followed with the silent resolve of a sworn shield. I followed with the clear, sharp purpose of a guardian angel.

My Ryuuji-kun’s path was not a straight line. It was a test of faith, a winding pilgrimage meant to strengthen our resolve.

“Are you still sensing that energy, Ryuuji?”

Kenji’s voice was a clumsy interruption in the holy silence.

“Yeah. It’s… uh… getting stronger.”

Of course it was. His very presence consecrated the ground he walked on. He was a magnet for the world’s energies, drawing them to himself.

Then I saw it. A slight twitch of his shoulders. His hand moved to his neck, a quick, swatting motion. My little shadow was making its presence known. A quiet joy bloomed in my chest. He could feel me. He could feel my devotion, a constant, secret presence watching over him. It was a connection only we shared.

“Is something wrong, Ryuuji-kun?”

I was at his side in an instant. My face was a perfect mask of concern. My heart was a quiet song of victory.

“A bug, I think. It bit me.”

The words were a gift. He was protecting my secret. He was creating a cover story for my little shadow, a beautiful, perfect lie to shield my methods from the others. He trusted me so completely.

My gaze swept over the silent, listening woods. My voice became a shard of ice.

“What did it look like?”

He had given me my cue. I had to play my part. The part of the terrifying, overprotective shield. It was a role I cherished.

“I don’t know. It was small. Probably a mosquito. It’s gone now.”

My expression softened, but the cold promise remained in my heart.

“Insects that dare to touch you will be burned. All of them.”

It was not a threat. It was a prophecy. The world would learn its new catechism. Do not touch my god.

Kenji’s weakness threatened to delay the mission.

We came to a clearing. A pool of water sat in the center, still and lifeless. It was a place of stagnation, a distraction from our sacred purpose. Kenji, in his simple, mortal frailty, saw only a place to rest.

“A spring! We can rest here for the night and refill our canteens.”

The thought was a blasphemy. Rest? Now? While Ryuuji-kun’s enemy was still out there? While my god was still in danger? I felt a flash of cold contempt for Kenji’s weakness. He did not understand the urgency. He did not feel the pull of devotion as I did.

My Ryuuji-kun spoke, his voice the sharp edge of a divine commandment.

“No.”

They all stopped. The world stopped. He was the center of our universe.

“We can’t stop. He’s still down there. We have to keep going.”

His voice was tight with a pain that tore at my heart. He was pushing himself past his limits. For us. For this world. For that worthless insect Siegfried. His compassion was a beautiful, terrible, all-consuming fire. It was his greatest strength and his most profound vulnerability. It was the thing I was sworn to protect.

Kenji’s face was a mess of awe and shame.

“Ryuuji… you’re exhausted. You’ve been through so much. But you’re still thinking of him.”

Fat, stupid tears rolled down Kenji’s face. He was a fool. He was only now beginning to grasp the sheer, selfless magnitude of the soul he was following.

“To show such compassion for an enemy… to be so worried for the safety of a man who betrayed you… you’re amazing, man. Truly.”

He was not a man. He was a miracle.

“He’s right, Ryuuji-kun. Your capacity for forgiveness is a miracle.”

Just then, my little shadow, my faithful servant, made its way to his ankle. He yelped and jumped, shaking his leg. He was playing his part again, drawing attention away from his own pain, creating a moment of levity to ease our worry. He was always thinking of us.

“Leech!”

I had my dagger in my hand before the word had fully left his lips. Kenji and Daisuke drew their own weapons, their movements clumsy and slow. They were good men. They were useless. If there was a single leech in that pond, I would have boiled the water and salted the earth.

I was his blade. I was his shield. I was his shadow.

We followed him away from the stagnant pool and back into the living woods. Kenji and Daisuke were relieved. They believed the danger was passed. They did not understand that the danger was everywhere. It was in every shadow, every rustling leaf, every insect that buzzed too close.

My promise echoed in my mind. I will not lay a hand on him. A good promise. A holy one. It was a test from my god. He did not want to see my hands stained with the filth of the insect Siegfried. He wanted to protect me from the ugliness of what must be done.

His mercy was a beautiful, blinding sun. But even the sun needs its shadow. A place for the necessary darkness to reside. A place where the dirty work could be done, far from his perfect, innocent eyes.

I would be that shadow. I would find another way. A cleaner way. A way that would not bring shame to his name. A fall. A monster. A tragic accident. The dungeon would have a thousand ways to claim a life.

I would just help it choose the right one.