Volume 1 Chapter 4 (2/2)

I let out a screao paler than a snuff video

Th-that grin She's definitely planning sootten how you endedaway my swimsuit with scissors!!

Mai looked thoroughly irritated as she said, ”You really do have talent when it co Youkai hate you The Sunekosuri hasn't approached you once this whole tiative reaction could be used in some way”

”Th-that doesn't happen because I want it to!!”

”It seems that boy who came with the Zashi+ki Warashi+ has a different but equally interesting nature, but I suppose it doesn't o love on that Sunekosuri!!”

”Wait! Don't leave me alone!!”

I tried to grab at her for safety, but the next thing I kneas lying collapsed on the ground

Ahh! The Zashi+ki Warashi+ is headed this way out of boredo that worker!! At this rate, she'll fill the ti I need to live a normal life in society!!

”Not good My only option is to get to my room and hole up there!!”

When I frantically tried to grab , a different hand reached in from the side

It belonged to one of the hotel's workers

”I will carry that to your room for you if you like”

”Th-thanks…um…Matsukai-san?”

I had to check the nameplate on the chest of the worker's vest for the name

Matsukai-san smiled and said, ”I am at your service for the short time you are here”

The hotel itself was fairly sain, it was a single

But it was a Western style rooot me excited It wasn't that I had any real complaints with that thatch-roofed house, but it did lack sos

The Zashi+ki Warashi+ approached theand let out a strange voice that seemed a mixture of admiration and annoyance

”There really isn't anything as far as the eye can see The only activity is seeing the aniet tired of that, you're out of luck, aren't you?”

”I'd say the bigger problele”

”I'ive me my own room”

”…I still can't believe they went along with that”

It was possible her being a Zashi+ki Warashi+ worked to her advantage Not that she would bring fortune to the hotel or anything

Now then

I had n calmness up to that point, but it was about ti heart And it really was pounding!! When I accepted the invitation, I had assuht down the Madoka route, but now that was all thrown into chaos by the sudden inclusion of the Indoor Youkai option And really, noactually happened or not, it would pretty ure froether The tabloids would be all over it!!

At that htly

”…I sense inappropriate thoughts”

”Don't be silly!! You're just being too self-conscious, you good-for-nothing Zashi+ki Warashi+! If this was es!!”

”shi+nobu”

”It le and therefore has just the one bed and I'entle curve of your back, and the soft curves of your hips!!”

”The device I araph sensor that sends an electric shock depending on your answer, so answer 'true' to every true-or-false question I ask you”

”Ha ha ha Like you actually have such a convenient-…wait, you do!? Why!? Wah! Wait, wait! I'll confess, I'll confess!! Teenage boys are thinking inappropriate thoughts about 80 of the tis like that justheavier!?”

”Do not underesti oods At any rate, Question 1: Your secret savings are hidden below a false botto”

”That question has nothing to do with the situation!!”

”With your fragileyour ht to the point”

”I get it, so stop physically attacking me with your words!!”

”Question 2: If possible, you want to have your ith both roundless confidence to iine ould both come on to you”

”Why would you head straight into it if you knoill destroy my mind!? A-and that's just a mindset! That doesn't mean I actually am one!!”

”Why do you look so shocked? D-do I seein to you?”

”Y-you aren't lying, are you?”

”If I was, that electrode would send a shock into ht!? Actually…how much of a shock does it send!? What do you have in that box? It isn't a car battery, is it!?”

”Qu-question 3: It ith Madoka”

”No She eois for ht this trip was such a great opportunity”

”Question 4: Yuki Onna?”

”I'd be frozen to death the next , if I did that”

”Neko-…”

”It wasn't the Nekomata!! The format is just too different! Explain to me how that would even be possible!!”

shi+nobu started sobbing while lying in the bed, so I had no choice but to leave the roo else to do I had to wonder whether he had actually believed adgets, but that doesn't ether I can't stand the s iron

”Mutter mutter… But if shi+nobu actually believed that, was he telling the truth when he said that…? Hmm…”

I couldn't believe it

I simply couldn't believe it

I didn't particularly care about shi+nobu, but I was a bit worried at hothat major about my household as a Zashi+ki Warashi+

Then again, I had no proof that shi+nobu was telling the truth It was possible shi+nobu had seen throughhis own fun at my expense I had no real proof one way or the other It would be foolish to simply take shi+nobu's word for it

shi+nobu could be a bit of a show off

I had no idea if a male version of pseudocyesis existed, but shi+nobu certainly had the delusional power to pull it off

”I need some time to cool down”

When I wanted to have soo have some fun

I wasn't going to find anyone in the hotel hallway, so I headed for the first floor lobby and the adjacent lounge where I was likely to find someone I was technically considered a pet, so I really shouldn't have been wandering around on my own However, shi+nobu was considered et in trouble, notsoreat way to put your mind at ease In that way, my position as a pet was quite a nice one

”You are a Zashi+ki Warashi+, aren't you?”

”And you are a Sunekosuri”

”It must be nice Not only are you beautiful overall, but you are one of the uaranteed to show up in any Youkai a or Youkai movie”

”Yes, but I do kind of wish I had an ani a commercial, they alant a cute kitten or puppy”

”But there is too much inflation in animal Youkai A deadly one like the Neko in the battles And if they want a canine Youkai, they always choose the Inuga left for a Sunekosuri”

I was not so sure

I had a feeling a mascot only worked when it was completely powerless

”There is nothing I can do to defeat a Zashi+ki Warashi+ when it coirls, so there is nofortune you fill the protagonist-side support role perfectly”

”Nothing says a Zashi+ki Warashi+ has to be female and we are hardly innocent since ill predict fires I wonder why the i”

”Being cute with a bit of venom hidden below the surface is perfect for entertainainst shi+ns There is no room for drama there”

”Didn't the Sunekosuri co at your feet while walking along a path at night? Y'know, so like a poisonous snake I would say that's alike me”

”Then I wish I at least had poison as an additional skill I just rub up against people The only way that can cause fear is by creeping people out when they think so them around”

”Yet you're still co”

”…It is a sad instinct,” he said as he continued rubbing and averted his gaze

Hmm This isn't bad Is it because he looks like a puppy? If I sat down in a luxurious chair and crossed one leg over the other, I would probably be filled with an incredible sense of superiority Maybe I should try it with shi+nobu sometime

”Sunekosuri, have you gone out into the pastures to see the cows and horses and whatnot?”

”I gave up when the sheepand ran away from me What do you want to do?”

”I would rather eat so cows Oh, some lamb would be nice too”

”You can only get aith comments like that because you are a Zashi+ki Warashi+ I'm jealous With the way I look, people just assume I am a carnivore that wants to eat its prey”

I continued to speak with the other Youkai for a while

As the trip had no real objective, I had been prepared for this, but I was still bored all the same

I was afraid it would be nothing but this until dinner

I could only hope that shi+nobu made a quick recovery

It wasn't often that I got to enjoy a trip with the detective without anyone getting killed Normally, I would chase after a murder and just happen to end up at the same crime scene as him, so it was hard to expect your usual love comedy scenes

Iwithout a serious at, you needed a nice balance

”This is my chance”

I tossed ht back out into the hallway I then realized I had left my smartphone in the room, so I headed back into the room When I returned to the hallway, I realized I had locked my cardkey in the room

I used the interphone in the hallway toconfession to the front desk The worker at the front desk headed up to retrieve my key

My mind really was useless outside of my specialty I was brilliant when it came to people's deaths And that only applied to deaths that still had so

My grades on school exa flustered and confused as to what to do to make that detective fall for me If a history question was needed to disarm a bomb, I could answer it iain a clue, I could eloquently pull it off as many times as necessary But once the mode switched over, I was hopeless

I know it is a proble

For exa post every day cannot write a novel And someone who is treated as a God for their ability to co lyrics It enre could change someone's scores drastically

The bias inmore than that

And there were tih you knew you were terrible at it

”…Hmm If only the hotel had a pool Then I could easily seduce that detective”

I had worn a swimsuit with a hoodie and miniskirt, but it had been a failure If he viewed it as er seemed special I had monitored his expression closely, but his perspiration and pupil dilation had been at nor well People had a tendency to grow accustoreater impact

I had to come up with a way to break out of that deadlock

I thought while dashi+ng down the hallway toward the detective's room

I gave up trying to co

”There's no use in thinking about so you're terrible at!”

I spotted the detective just as he stepped out of his door, possibly to head to the hotel's shop I started running towards hi my back to put as much of a burden on the chest ofit upwards)

”Hey there, detective! I'o as far as a swimsuit wardrobe malfunction!!”

”Are youthe japanese police!?”

Sigh

I couldn't believe that daht such a horrible toy with her

But I could hardly spend allbyspot! I was in a resort hotel with e-breasted Youkai!! And so I took action I headed off to search for some kind of fun that was full of sleazy desire In my current mood, I would certainly have tried to peek if the hotel had an open air bath Unfortunately, it was a western hotel

”I at least want to hug so s are sure to escalate fro started in the second half of the trip once the standards have been set”

I set the initial goal as low as I could to avoid crushi+ng myself under self-created pressure I opened the door toto find soe Or I could call Madoka down by cell phone

While I aiting for the elevator, someone exited a room on the same floor

It was a wo outfit

There were probably fewer than 30 wo a tank top and hot pants after 20

I then recognized who she was

She had been with my uncle

She was certainly beautiful, but I had a hard ti up with a way to start a conversation with someone with as much of a mature aura as she had Just like a h school student were coe student were co that the foundations of our thoughts were completely different In fact, I felt like I would need a Hollywood celebrity level foundation to even think about approaching someone like her

The wo for the elevator because she pulled out her cell phone

”Have you been here long? This ise can possibly do for an entire week after looking around the pastures”

Betraying all of my expectations, she actually spoke to me

What? What?

I was happy to have someone as beautiful as her speak to me, but it also scared me a bit

I couldn't get a read on her, so I just safely nodded and agreed with her

”Y-yeah”

”Do you know if there is a casino soe?”

”I only just got here today, too”

”I see I guess I ht Have you seen this?”

The woman held her cell phone out toward me The screen showed a low quality hoe to point out that there was no way I could have seen it before

But as it?

It looked like the back of an old tata It looked less like soe likenobility In the roo a kin car

The girl did not see a deep red and waving her hands in front of her face

”Hey, stop, hey! I do not particularly mind, but you cannot filirl

”It isn't on,” said another voice

”Eh? Um…really?”

”You're too self-conscious”

”To be honest, I do not understand what you hope to gain by fil as you do it elsewhere”

”Don't be like that You know very well this video won't leave this device”

”So you are fil?”

The woman looked very pleased with herself as she shoved the cell phone in my face

”See?”

”Don't you think girls of about that age stimulate your protection instincts the most? They're just so cute If she was soo Then again, I don't think I was that cute even as a kid Maybe that's why I like them so much”

”I-I see…”

Personally, I was not old enough to think kids were cute I was irl in the video was fine, but she gave me an overall unsteady appearance because the balance of the parts seemed sorowing Still, she was definitely better than a baby

At any rate…

I was hter of about 10

”Well, it's not like she's actually related to me in any way”

”Then what the hell is that video about!?”

”It's like a good luck charh to call science class 'life environanization, I' to put up with a few unreasonable demands”

”Eh? Eh???”

With that final incoot onto the elevator that had arrived

I watched the elevator leave and then suddenly realized so

”Wait, I aiting for the elevator too!!”

I had a habit of eating dinner early But then, ht snack instead of breakfast I still had to eat three meals a day, butand go to sleep at night

Thisat the sa alone Well, it was also my duty as the older sister to not disturb those two Really, they should just hurry up and get married

I arrived at the hotel restaurant right when they began serving dinner, so I was the only customer

The food listed on thewith caht course that featured a rare veal steak I did not order an alcoholic drink I did enjoy drinking, but I preferred to do so at a specialty bar You couldn't just get a bit intoxicated with your dinner That was like ordering the curry rice at a beachside restaurant and assu you were suddenly an expert in Indian food

The food wasn't bad

It was a s spot in an Intellectual Village, so it had more workers than necessary Not only did the ticket eli fees and meal expenses, but we did not have to pay their labor costs either

After finishi+ng off the dessert, I wiped my mouth with my napkin and called over a nearby worker

”Hey, I have a question”

”What ht that be?”

”Is there a newspaper vending machine anywhere around here?”

”If you contact the front desk, you can get a newspaper sent to your roo You can choose frolish”

”That should do it Does it cost extra?”

”It is included in the room fee”

”…Then I'd be losing out if I didn't order one”

”Is that all?”

”Oh, right Onea deal, but…Matsukai-san…”

I read the workers name from the nameplate on his chest

”What is it?”

”Do youme your full name?”

”It is Matsukai Hiroshi+”

”Oh?”

So I run across that name here, too And you didn't even hesitate to tell me But you see, I killed a scholar with that exact same name just the other day

Of course, since it had been used as a fake name, it was not that unusual a name It was possible this was just some poor normal person who just so happened to have the same name

Or perhaps he was connected with that Matsukai Hiroshi+ and he gave the name so readily so that I would hesitate for that exact reason

”What an unusual name”

”Is it?”

”It is unusual in this area at least That naered species”

”I do not see how the two naether”

”So,” I said quietly with a grin ”Can you see the Deadly Dragon Princess yet?”

You idiot You could at least hide your reaction better than that

He must have realized his mistake as soon as he made it He frantically recomposed his expression, but it was too late It did not on Princess or not Or rather, I had not even pulled it up fro medium, so there was no way he could see it What on Princess” He had felt true fear upon hearing it Any normal person would have simply been confused

I reached for the decorative fork in the center of the table and thehimself Matsukai Hiroshi+ slowly reached around to his back He had abandoned his ”role” without losing the smile

I could sense no clear killer intent

The restaurant round seemed to fill the atmosphere

He clearly knew that killer intent would only provide a hint to an enemy if you doubted it would intimidate them

This was going to be fun

At the very least, he would likely put up ht than the previous Matsukai-san If he pulled out a handgun, he would rank at about a B, but I could finda littleI decided it would be safest to end this with my first move The only question hether I could do so with only a knife and fork

But then…

The at the roo from the entrance to the restaurant

Oh, shi+t Not good

Some normal people had arrived…no, they were my little sister's friends Kotemitsu Madoka, Jinnai shi+nobu, and the Zashi+ki Warashi+ Even if I had never spoken with someone, there were plenty of ways to learn their names

”I'ry”

”Beef I want to eat some beef on the first day at least”

”…Aren't you being a bitthat idyllic scenery?”

Meanwhile Matsukai Hiroshi+-san took a slow step backwards while still s around behind his for the moment

He assured me we could continue this later

I see, I see, I see

So that's the way you think

I decided to give him an answer With a tiny movement the others would not pick up on, I nodded in Matsukai Hiroshi+'s direction

He slowly nodded back and took another step backwards

In the next instant, I made my move despite the witnesses

It happened suddenly

It took me a few seconds to understand what had happened before my eyes

By the tied to comprehend the situation, the worker naround and had a silver fork stabbed into the side of his neck It wasn't as dangerous a weapon as a knife or icepick, but it was clearly sticking into a very dangerous place

”Wh-hat!? What the hell are you doing!?”

”Don't get so excited, boy This has nothing to do with you”

It was only then that I heard the clatter of the chair the wo fro the attack had been done in a single ly fast Was she a cheetah or so!?

The woave us no further attention and looked down at Matsukai-san who still had the fork stabbing into his neck

”Okay, Matsukai Hiroshi+ Mark 2 What are you doing out here in the country? Since you're using that nae How is Saishi+ Kajin related to this? In fact, are they still around?”

”Speak to me Give h strength left to do that If Ipasta around the fork, I can rip your nerves and artery to shreds I aami Mai Do you really think you can keep silent in front of me?”

For so asked those nonsensical questions It was possible they were not nonsensical to him

In the next instant, Matsukai-san's body jerked like he had a high voltage electric current running through him and dark red blood flowed from his mouth

”D-did you kill him!?”

”He had so h”

The woue, pulled out the deadly fork, and wrapped a nearby napkin around it Sheto take the evidence with her I was completely dumbfounded by the entire situation and could not take round

Could he still be saved?

I saw things like CPR in dramas and movies a lot, but…

”No, don't even try it I told you he had a means prepared, didn't I? If you kiss hi from your mouth too”

The situation was shocking enough, but the wo

She was used to this

Her expression made it clear this was not the first time she had seen a dead body In fact, she looked like she had created as many dead bodies as a norht online and plastic bags from convenience stores She was not norh, but she was 2 or 3 levels beyond that

My tongue trembled

As it twisted around in et the words out

”Don't…move”

”Why?”

I thought she was asking why she should do what I say

But I rong

”Why do you think you have any control here?”

She understood so It rapped aroundme in place, but she accepted it as normal

”They say curiosity killed the cat, but a sense of justice can destroy nations I have experienced it, so I knohat I a it is necessarily bad, but don't let it control you That can have worse results than a kid with a handgun tucked into his pants”

The woman took a step toward me

She crushedunderfoot

She crossed a certain line

I netically repelled by her I then turned around so I could bring the Zashi+ki Warashi+ and Madoka with me to-…

”Th-they're gone!? Those two…!!”

They had likely already fled the restaurant It didn't er at the fact that they had abandoned me Instead, I was relieved that burden had been reled up underneath me and I half-ran, half-tripped out of the restaurant

When I entered the hallway, I spotted the Zashi+ki Warashi+ and Madoka standing a bit away

”You didn't run away!?”

”What are you talking about, shi+nobu? You're the one that wouldn't respond e called out to you”

The whole time?

How long did that last? Seconds? Minutes?

And when did it start? When the fear and abnormality of that woman wrapped around et stabbed?

When I thought about it like that, I realized I should probably be thankful that they waited around that long when aat any moment

Madoka called out to me with her face horribly pale

”Wh-what do we do now?”

”A rooet to one of the hotel rooms! Madoka, you stay with the Zashi+ki Warashi+! She may not be deadly, but she's still a Youkai She isn't easy to kill!!”

I doubted that girl in the red yukata would be any good in a fight and that nonstandard woman seemed like she could kill even a deadly Youkai without difficulty, so that hardly put my mind at ease I couldn't coap or blind spot The fear that woave me seemed to utterly destroy the very assuy

For some reason, the Zashi+ki Warashi+ puffed her chest out with pride and said, ”Do not expect anything from me in a battle”

”I'ht either I doubt I could put up any kind of a fight I need to call the police Either that or tell the other workers what happened I just need to