Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Part 1
Well then, let us begin a story of ic
”Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!”
Iba Itsuki screa
Falling on his bottoh hi the pants of his school uniform with kitchen waste
”Ah ah ah ah”
However, co that, Itsuki looked up with a dazed expression, pressing the eye patch over his right eye against his face
He was a boy who looked a little younger than his actual age
As if to display his personality, his hair was short and wasn't dyed or gelled, and even though it was a holiday, he wore his school uniform The one exception to his bland appearance was the eye patch covering his right eye like a pirate; though for a young boy to wear it, it ca quite ridiculous
Now, this boy had a serious reason for pressing on his eye patch
With his left eye, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary
If so to be afraid of In that dark alleyway, they wouldn't have seen the shadow of anything other than the young boy
If they were a normal human that is
””
However, Itsuki could see soht eye
Through the eye patch, through the palm of his hand, he could see them clearly
Red eyes
The blazing red eyes glared at Itsuki from three meters above There were six eyes in all—two on each head
It was a
It was almost twice as tall as Itsuki, and had stiff black skin and hellish red eyes—not to mention the three heads that almost spanned the whole width of the alleyway Each of the heads had a strong de at it would cause one's soul to be snatched away
It perfectly ure in the reference documents
” A-Ah, um”
”GARAAAAAAAA”
Burning hot breath e wind of that breath made Itsuki's hair stand on end Any hotter and he'd have been burned to a crisp
Naturally that would be the case
It was like a fusion of its ancient ancestor who guarded the gates of the underworld and the Black Dog that strode through Europe According to the reference documents, its breath's rees No matter what, any human would be turned to ash in an instant Such was the nature of ical beasts
However, if we are talking about huical eye, perhaps they had some method of resistance
Immediately after,
Itsuki waved his hands in front of his face with all his ht
”No um I-I definitely taste horrible!”
With all of the desperation of a grade schooler being extorted by a orously shook his head
Correction
He had absolutely no way of resisting at all
”GRYYYYIII?”
”JRYYYYIII?”
”ZRYYYIIII!”
The three heads exales
It looked like they were arguing over which head would get to eat hi to decide how to cook him
”Uh, uh, ahahaha!” Itsuki let out a dry laugh
As if pleased with the reaction, the three heads sether
They were laughing
With a twisting sound, sorabbed onto Itsuki's back
”Aawaa!”
As he let out an incos
At the sa jumped
It was unbelievably niainst the sides of the narrow alleyway just by walking, it had kicked off the walls two or three times and landed behind Itsuki
”Wh-Whaaaa?”
His eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate
However, he had no time to be astonished Within a moment, Itsuki's field of vision was enveloped in pure red
It was a pure red, burning, terrible-s
tongue
Lick
””
Lick, lick, lick, lick
”eh?”
He opened his eyes
Through the sticky saliva, he saw the deed its tail with all the eagerness it could muster, as if this was the happiest moment of its life
”Waa!”
The three heads licked Itsuki's face over and over feverishly
Fro out
”Oh, as expected of you, President, being the first to arrive”
” Hey, Nekoyashi+ki-san”
Itsuki, covered in sobr, turned around He saw a youngfan
He was a head taller than Itsuki, had bleached silver hair and long, thin eyes that stretched to the bridge of his nose His figure seemed to personify the word ”beautiful” However, his Heian-style haori[1] and folding fan easily destroyed any traces of that beauty
Also, just as his name implied[2], from within his haori, they popped out here and there
”Meow”
”Meorw”
”Mrrow”
”Me~o”
four in total: white, spotted, black, and calico cats
”M these children, so I ended up coood, they are Treasures of humanity Treasures of the Earth No, no, space space-ti that a cat is worth a thousand gold pieces is stingy, for in the opinion of myself, Nekoyashi+ki Ren, they are worth ten thousand no, a million!”
”Uh rather than discuss cats, what the heck is with this dog?!”
Itsuki coue continues to scrape against his skin
In contrast, the ainst his mouth and tilted his head to the side
”Hht?”
”Likes people?”
That kind of ithout saying Except that rather than liking people, Itsuki had the impression that it liked to eat people
”Oh, President Once again, it looks like you only skimmed the reference papers This time it's a pet search Got it?”
”P-Pet?” Itsuki parroted involuntarily
”Though it's only a subspecies of the descendents of Cerberus, it stilltransported Looks like we've finished our request, haven't we?”
””
Itsuki said nothing
However, there was a visible change in the de
”GRYYYYYY?”
Suddenly letting go of Itsuki, the dog let out a hoary of the man and the cats It heaved its body around
”My, my, Ultros-san!”
It had incredible agility
Ultros, the de, rushed down the alleyway faster than Nekoyashi+ki could even shout
”—Cleanse, purify—”
This ti but cool and clear voice echoed down the alleyway
”Cleanse, purify Areat God, disperse all misfortune, the Buddha in Heaven”
An evergreen branch adorned hite strips of paper—a taushi+[4]— ju its head and whimpered as if it was discovered by itsmischief
”Huh?”
Itsuki blinked
At the other end of the alleyway stood a young lady with pigtails Actually, she looked to be about eight Rather than a young lady, she could irl
Her clothes looked a bit like Ren's She wore a pure white chihaya with a crane design, together with a crimson hakama That is to say, aon her back and apparently had come directly from school
”Enough, Nekoyashi+ki-san Didn't you hear that this one gets tiical beasts' spell powers?”
Puffing out her cheeks, the little girl stood with her arms akimbo
Her nai Mikan A third year elementary school student; she was an employee-under-contract in the shi+ntou[6] department That is to say, this was her part-time job
”Ahaha An honest mistake”
The young h He was the acting seniordirector and head of the Onmyoudou[7] depart
”Well then, shall we leave the last part to our President?”
”Eh, me?”
Itsuki's eyes were still spinning as Nekoyashi+ki handed him three seals Complicated symbols danced across the surfaces of those slips of paper If you showed those seals to soht have floide in amazement However, they had no effect on the current Itsuki, whose eyes were already wide open
”So you've gotta stick theet scared and run away again”
””
Itsuki held his breath
He looked several tiht of asking Mikan to do it, but she was on the other side of the dog
”U-Understood”
With a completely pale face, Itsuki nodded like a puppet
”Good luck, President Onii-chan,” Mikan said, s
”Ah ahahaha” A dry laugh leaked out of Itsuki as he stepped closer and closer to Ultros
”GRYYYYYYYY?”
”I-I-I-It's alright I won't hurt you”
Pat
The first one
With that, the left head drooped and fell comfortably asleep
”JRYYYYYYYYYY”
”I-I-I-I-I-I-I' some seals here”
Pat
The second one
”ZRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?”
”!!!!!”
Just as he affixed the third one, Itsuki lost consciousness For real this time
”O-Onii-chan, President Onii-chan?”
”My, oh my!”
”Me~eorw?”
Itsuki felt as though voices were calling him from far off
Bye bye See you later Thank you
Part 2
”!!!”
Itsuki opened his eye
For a moment, he didn't knohere he was
He looked around It was red
He was in the classroom at sunset
One of his class at him with a tired face
”Hey, Ibaitsu?”
Ya hioban-faced[8] ”hope” of the physics club Incidentally, he was called the ”hope” because he had won the physics club fighting ga cerele loss
”Of course, you finally wake up after sleeping straight fro of first period to the end of suppleht be possessed or so?”
”Wow I was out of it for that long?”
”Yeah, you were h class No one felt like touching you” Ya about a three-headed, ht after watching a horror fil Killer Tomato VS Ed Wood?'”
”I don't think there was a dog in that one”
”Forget about it You always faint during horror films anyway”
”Isn't that natural? They are kind of scary”
”Heh, I still re 'nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld'[10]”
”Ack!”
Oh, the trauma
Ever since elementary school, every time he went out he ended up in some unfavorable situation Just half a month after he entered this school, the whole class kneas a scaredy-cat thanks to Ya classes knew hi Doraemon”
”Keheheheh!” After laughing like a de?”
”What do you mean?”
”You know, you've looked a little funny since last week”
Yamada lowered his eyebrow and crossed his arms
”F-Funny?”
”Yeah You're nor it a lot more Have you taken up so?”
”Mm sort of”
Giving an ah, Itsuki rubbed his cheek
”Well, whatever I thought you were gonna go with your Uncle Kusakabe to America, weren't you?”
”I can't do that I've got to hold down the house here and I don't want to cause him that much trouble”
”Well it's too late for that now And after you guys had been living together for several years”
”Well, just go hat's logical, I guess”
Yahed at Itsuki's words
”Man, you're a good guy in a weird place I don't really much care about that, but at least visit us once in a while Aneki's[11] always saying you should show your face more”
”Yeah, thanks,” Itsuki said meekly
Yamada dropped his shoulders tiredly However, he suddenly tilted his head
”Oh yeah, I heard froht? A lawyer sent some kind of letter So they found your dad after all?”
”Uh”
Seeing that Itsuki was having trouble putting his thoughts into words, Yamada tapped the back of Itsuki's head
”H too much Well, if you really want to know, then just call your sister”
Yamada was totally shameless
Itsuki shook his head, giving a wry smile
”It's okay, I don't really mind Since it's already been seven years since he went ht of him as dead”
” I see That bad, huh?”
”I really don't have any feelings about it, though I've been living with Kusakabe since before he went , after all”
”Yeah, you've really got nothing to complain about there Man, if I could live with Yuuka-chan”
”Hush, lolicon”
”You shut up, greenhorn!”
As they were talking, Itsuki's cell phone started ru in his pocket
When he saw the caller ID, Itsuki's heart lurched
”Ack!”
”H? Take it if you need to”
”Y-Yeah”
Gulping down a huge gob of saliva, he pressed the talk button
The moment he did
”Oh, President!”
”Huh?”
Yamada's ears perked up
”Hey Nekoyashi+ki-san, what is it?”
”Along with the succession procedures I told you about, we've got a new e by here tomorrow, President?”
”Uh, yes I understand, but”
”Also, I need you to sign the docu the capture and return of Ultros the other day”
”Y-Yes Understood Well, see you later”
As he cut the call, just as he expected, Ya at him ide eyes
”Ibaitsu did someone just call you 'President'?”
”N-No it was just a wrong number”
”And you answered it?”
”That's, uh s-sorry I have to go home now!”
”Wait up, Ibaitsu!”
Standing up in a panic, Itsuki grabbed his school bag and ran away
When he left the classroo
People who have disappeared are dealt with as deceased after seven years, according to the law
Iba Itsuki knew this because of a particular letter he had received
”Oh it's about dad”
Printed on a pretty, white envelope that see the Inheritance of Iba Tsukasa's assets”
Though it was kind of cold of hi the letter Since his father had gone o, when Itsuki was still too siven to his uncle and his uncle's wife to be taken care of Since they had treated him just like family, Itsuki pretty much considered them to be such
Itsuki's uncle had raised him perfectly well
He gave both Itsuki and his real daughter, Yuuka, the sah he knew that Itsuki could see things like ghosts and ive hi it was for self-defense, he gathered lots of reference and information books for Itsuki To Itsuki, as often chased by monsters because of his weak appearance, the reason he was able to live for so long was thanks to his uncle
— As a result, aside fro, Iba Itsuki led a decidedly peaceful and average life
But now
For the first time, Itsuki resented his father and uncle a little bit
That's not to say that such resentment was undeserved After all, there iven to his uncle When the letter ca about it to his uncle (as now in America) out of concern over the issue
However, it was still totally unexpected
Man, Uncle, you're no fair! Itsuki lamented in his heart To think that Dad was president of so about it! Not once!
Not to mention that he would have to succeed his father as president once he died!
After eating ramen for dinner on the way home, Itsuki stopped in the nearby park and made a phone call
”[Good ?”
It was Yuuka Thanks to the time difference, her voice was sleepy It couldn't be helped Nine in the evening in japan was still earlyin New York
”Um hey, is Uncle there?”
”He's on a business trip He flew off soularly either, so Mom's pretty mad”
”I see”
”Hey, hey, when are you co to visit, Onii-san?”
He heard the sound of rubbing against a blanket on the other end of the line It seeotten out of bed
”It's no use until suht now”
”I wish you could come to school here”
”Don't be ridiculous I'lish, unlike you”
”You'll get used to it in a month!” she assured him cheerfully There was a difference in their mental abilities that Itsuki wished she would consider
” Yeah, yeah Say, Yuuka, have you ever heard anything about some company called
”Huh? What?”
A puzzled voice came back to him But then Yuuka's tone turned serious
”Onii-san did you see soain?”
Ack!
Bull's-eye
”N-No, it's not anything like that!”
”Re~ally?”
”Yeah Well, I'o International calls are expensive!”
”Talk to you soon, then!”
Cutting the connection, Itsuki took a deep breath Yuuka was pretty perceptive If he talked to her any further, he'd definitely be found out
” Of course I can't tell her I've been made a company president”
Itsuki had a far-off look on his face
He sat on the swings, kicking back and forth against the ground weakly
Ru over the conversation at the h
--The mansion
That was the office of the ician dispatch company
It was a very ss, and you wouldn't notice it unless you already knew about it After receiving the letter about his inheritance, Nekoyashi+ki gave hi nod and handed him several documents
There was a Transfer of Managehts Contract, and several other papers with difficult-looking contents; but that wasn't the problem He was uncertain about his father's appearance and past, which he was just beginning to learn about
However, when he was handed the business card, the world turned upside-down
On a card embossed with a crystal watermark, the title, ”Nekoyashi+ki Ren - On in sepia-colored letters:
<ician>< p=””>
— We rent icians to meet your needs>
””
Itsuki simply sat speechless for several seconds
” Um, what exactly is this?”
”Can you read? We support custoic arts froh, we're a bit shorthanded right now”
S fan
”So, I want you to succeed to the position of president of this company”
”President-san, President-san~!”
Itsuki's eye shrank to a dot
”—Hey, wait a second! I' about ician dispatch' entail?!”
”It's not a probleh school student can e a company”
Holding a teacup in his hand, Nekoyashi+ki gave a flawless business smile and nodded If he weren't covered from head to toe in cats, he could pass as an exemplary model of a businessman
”But why do I have to inherit anything?! Why don't you becon whatever contracts or anything I need to in order to pass it on to you”
”The fetters of industry don't really appeal to me”
Nekoyashi+ki put on a cheap smile
”We got an order fro recommendation that the head of the association—that is, the position of president—be a blood relative If we ignore what they say, we can't do business, and to the streets”
”Bankruptcy? Restructuring? Bad debt?” Mikan said in a worried voice, looking up at Itsuki
Then, the cats began to exert wordless pressure Itsuki couldn't find the words to go against their adorableness
”Uh, um”
No words
The floor under his feet began to rue moan If he refused rashly, the floor would surely break open and unleash some kind of horrible monster