Test-11

{Chapter 3} Home Occupation by Outsiders

Part I

　It was Friday, the day after Hiroto revealed the secret of his abilities to Ichigo, and also somehow managed to keep the secret, at great cost.

　Hiroto’s grandfather, Tenzo, was lazily lying down in his living room, reading his favorite adult magazine. This is his daily routine.

　Then the relaxed expression on his face disappeared, and he pulled out a compass-like object the size of a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his robe and frowned.

“Oh, by the way, this is the time of year when the earth’s veins are ……. I forgot to tell Hiroto about it. Well, that’s okay. It may be a bit much, but it’s lively.”

　After talking to himself, he immediately concentrated on the magazine.

“This curve is also ……. Yeah, yeah, yeah ……. gufufu…gufufufufu.”

　Hiroto clenched his fists as he left school.

“It’s now!　I’ll definitely be leaving on Sunday!　Though I couldn’t tell Mirei-sensei about it,…….”

　So …… in the end, Hiroto couldn’t tell his homeroom teacher, the super cool beauty Takano Mirei, that he was going to miss a week of school. When he thought about what would happen afterward, he was too scared to say anything.

　That was the only thing that stuck in his mind, but Hiroto pulled himself together.

“But I really want to repair the house, and then I can hide Gaston, who doesn’t know where he’s going,……, in a house as big as this.”

　The primary reason for accepting the request was, of course, that living in a tent was unbearable.

　In addition to that, Hiroto was worried about Gaston. He was supposed to be dead, but if he was found to be alive, he would be a wanted vampire.

　He was once a violent man with a broken heart, but now he is a friend and comes to take care of Hiroto in any way he can. Also, he is not afraid to cross dangerous bridges for Hiroto. Even though Hiroto was sure that he would be punished by Mirei, he wanted to restore the house and also make a place for Gaston.

　When Hiroto arrived at his house, he looked at the large gate and exhaled.

“Well, I’ll accept my punishment and try my best to regain her trust. Above all, a good house is the basis of life.”

　When he put his hand on the gate, ……

　His face tensed and his hand stopped.

“……hm?　What is it?”

　There was something.

“No way……. No, but this is …….”

　Moreover, this was not a sign of a human being,…….

　When he was referred to this house by Tenzo, he was delighted to learn that there was a strong sense of the sacred energy that is characteristic of high-class temples and shrines in the grounds, perhaps because there is a shrine on the mountain behind it. For Hiroto, who is often attacked by small spirits, this kind of sacred energy would make it hard even for ordinary people to enter.

　It would be a different story, if it were a Quasi-Majin Gaston, referred to as Nosferak, but there are not many such high-class non-human beings.

　But now, ……, from within the premises, he felt a presence that was clearly human.

　For a moment, Hiroto thought about what to do, but this is his home. There is no way around it.

　When he came to that conclusion, the earlier presence disappeared.

“…… Huh?”

　Was it just my imagination, Hiroto wondered?　Though he was a little hesitant, he opened the gate.

　And as he nervously tried to enter, a housewife-looking woman with a shopping bag in her hand entered his field of vision.

　The woman walking toward him was probably a neighbor.

　However, her face was clearly suspicious as she stared at him.

　To tell the truth, Hiroto had not yet informed his neighbors that he had moved into this house.

　He had been so busy since entering school that he hadn’t had time to think about greeting the neighbors.

(It’s only natural that they would be suspicious if a high school student, who they didn’t know, tried to enter this rundown house)

　Hiroto was a bit flustered, but he thought that not greeting them would make them look even more suspicious, so he decided to greet them as politely and cheerfully as possible.

“Ah, hello!　I am Domori and I just moved in here the other day. I was planning to go say hello to my neighbors again, but I haven’t been able to do so yet ……. I’m sorry.”

“……eh?　In this house!?”

　When Hiroto lowered his head, the woman’s face became …… paler and paler.

　And Hiroto, who saw the scene, you ask?　He became anxious.

　Immediately afterward, the woman hurriedly bowed her head as if in a hurry.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I apologize for being so rude. I’m Ayasaka, and I live in the house on the corner there. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

　The middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Ayasaka had a good skin tone and a chubby figure, giving the impression of an old lady who liked to talk.

　He also remembered the house on the corner that the woman mentioned, because it was a large and magnificent house when he moved in. Looking closely at her, her clothes also looked neat and clean.

　Hiroto said, “Yes!　It’s nice to meet you,” he replied, a little relieved.

　Then, as if she was looking at him, the woman asked in a somewhat uncomfortable manner.

“Well, will you be living here ……?

“Eh?　Yes.”

“I see. ……”

　Hiroto tilted his head suspiciously at the way she spoke as if something was caught in her back teeth.

“Ah, what is it?　Perhaps something troublesome …….”

“I’m sorry, it’s not that. You know, …… that’s right!　It’s probably best to just say it.”

　The lady said as if she had understood something.

” Don’t think I’m weird or anything. You know, it’s just a rumor. …… I wonder if you’ve heard about this house.”

“…… Nothing at all.”(いえ this also pronounced as House/residence)

　In fact, he really didn’t know. He was introduced to the house by an acquaintance of Tenzo’s and was only given a map before the entrance ceremony, so he had no idea what the house looked like.

“In fact, this house had been vacant for a long time, ……. So, you know, the …… problem is…”

　The lady took a deep breath.

“Actually, there is a rumor …… it has……”

“it has?”

“Yeah, …….”

“It has……has…… ……. Ehhh-ehhhh?　You don’t mean that……, do you?”

“Yes, that one.”

　The woman then brought her hands in front of her chest, turned her hands towards him, and dangled them slackly. The shadows on her face suddenly increased, which was strangely scary.

(Like this I think)

“Well, no way … that kind of thing …”

“I’m sorry to say this out of the blue. It’s just that Tsuzuki-san, who lives across the street, told …… that he heard a lot of people’s voices coming from this house in the middle of the night last month. It’s supposed to be an empty house, yet he heard many noisy voices. Tsuzuki-san’s daughter here is famous for being very spiritual …….”

　Apparently, …… this house is a famous haunted house in the neighborhood.

　Occasionally, young people come to test their courage, but then they scream and run away in a frightening manner, just like the story of Tsuzuki-san, and there is no shortage of such stories.

( So that’s why when I first came here, the lock was broken. ……)

“Well, ……, at any rate, so far everything’s fine, you know?　I think it’s okay because I was able to rent it through an acquaintance of my grandfather. Ah, and I’ll be coming back to say hello there too.”

“…… Greetings!?　Oh, don’t mind me!　Well, I have dinner to prepare!”

The woman laughed and stepped back as if to run away.

“Alas, ……. Uhm, then the presence I felt earlier was ……. No, but I don’t think so.”

　Though Tenzo looks a bit strange, he is also an ability user. No matter what, Tenzo would never introduce his grandson to a haunted house where he would live alone.

　No… …… I would like to think so.

　Hiroto went through the gate, crossed the large yard, and put his hand on the front door of the house for the second time since the first time he looked inside. The key was still broken, so he just rattles open the front door.

(It’s magnificent, but …… people think it’s a haunted house because it’s so old and tattered. Alright, if I do my job well at the agency and fix everything, those rumors will go away.)

　It’s in shambles now, but it’s surprisingly solidly built. And the strong sacred energy was comforting.

(After all, it can’t be a ghost.)

　In a place with such strong sacred energy, no wandering spirits can enter, and no self-binding spirits would be able to exist.

　The hallway runs straight from the entrance to the back door, with the kitchen on the far right and the living room on the far left. The floor space is quite large, and if it were restored, it would be very comfortable to live there.

　After settling down completely, Hiroto went to take off his shoes, just in case he wanted to explore the inside.

　He felt the presence of non-human beings for a moment in front of the gate, but he thought it was just his imagination.

　In fact, even those with abilities can be mistaken.

“Well, I finally got a job from the agency, and my high school life is just beginning, and I can’t have a ghostly disturbance like that happening. I can’t be bothered by all troubles. The world is a fairer place. I’m a hard worker too.”

　Hiroto smiled with relief as he said this, and stepped to the door.

　At that time, ……

(……huh?　A Voice?)

　Sweat beaded from Hiroto’s forehead.

(I am sure I heard it. Or rather, I can still hear it. …… Is that a laughing voice?)

　It was on the left side at the end of the hallway. He heard it from a room that looked like a living room. No way, it’s really a ghost. …… But then again, he thinks, it’s impossible. And he didn’t feel the arbitrary vibes characteristic of a spirit.

(It’s not a person, either. It’s hard to recognize. …… making it hard to recognize. ……)

　He couldn’t tell unless he got closer, but there were clearly things that were not human.

　These individuals are unusually good at disguising themselves. ……He couldn’t grasp their true identity at all. Even Hiroto, who is an ability user, knows that they are there, but he can’t get any more information than that.

　Moreover, it is astonishing that they are present in a place with such a high level of sacred energy. Are they sacred beings or extremely powerful spirits or demons?　His alertness was increasing. ……

(Ahhhhh, there’s something strange about this. Why is it that I am the only one for whom something incomprehensible is happening?)

　Hiroto’s eyes began to tear up, and he felt a pang of frustration at the lack of peace in his life.

　Then he heard a lot of laughter from the back of the room, and his knees relaxed.

(What are they doing?　It looks so lively. …… It’s like a banquet.)

　I don’t know what’s going on here. Hiroto took off his shoes and fearfully headed to the end of the hallway. He slowly made his way down the corridor and finally stood in front of the ragged sliding door of the room where he could hear the ongoing buzz.

“Gulp.”

　He stood there for only a few moments, but he was ready, and he put his hand on the sliding door …… and slowly opened it.

　His eyes met.

　There were a lot of people.

　The large room that had been so bustling with activity was now silent.

　Hiroto gulped.

　There are about thirty …… large and small ones in there.

　Some of them are floating …….

　It’s as if time has stopped.

　For now,……, Hiroto slowly put the sliding door back in place without making a sound.

“>3kз7ΣM5Θ!!”

　Using his inhuman physical ability, Hiroto left an afterimage on the spot and dived for the shoes in the doorway, dexterously putting them on with both hands. Then, he rolled forward and landed on his feet, and instantly came out to the gate outside.

　With his shoes in his hands and his feet still in his socks, breathing heavily over his shoulder, Hiroto tried desperately to put his confused mind together.

(What the hell was that? !　They were floating!　And drinking! They were Human-like……no, they took that form!　It was quite a party!　Yes!　It was a lot of fun!　And drinking!![TN: He said it twice])

　He couldn’t get it together at all.

(That’s right, …… let’s be calm first. Yeah ……?

　As he shook his head to calm himself down, he saw that the lady who had just called herself …… Ayasaka was looking at him with a worried, yet frightened expression.

　Apparently, she came back to the …… site after running away earlier because she was curious.

　She was looking at him behind a telephone pole, unable to hide even half of her body.

　And their gazes definitely overlapped.

“”…………………………””

　Suddenly, Hiroto widened his hands, still wearing his shoes.

“N-no!　This place is much more livable than I thought it would be, good, good.”

　His voice was clearly loud. And then.

“Ah, that?　Ayasaka-san?　Thank you for earlier!”

　The startled lady came out from behind the pole, looking a little embarrassed.

“Yeah, um, are you okay?”

“Eh?　By okay you mean?　Aaah, you mean the house?　Yes, of course!　It’s a little old, but it’s very comfortable to live in. Yeah, really. Ha-ha-ha ……”

“But weren’t you in a hurry just now?　You looked like you were in a hurry to get out. And the shoes ……”

　Hiroto put his shoes on his hands and kept his socks on as he talked.

“Ah …… ahh!　This!　These are not paws ……. I was a bit happy and excited about this. It’s such a big house. It…… called youthful indiscretion!　Haha, nope, I’m embarrassed!”

“Huh…….”

　In response to his suspicious reaction, Hiroto wanted to change the subject, but that was not the point. He asked the lady what he needed to do most at the moment.

“I’m sorry, but is there a payphone around here?　I forgot something at my parents’ house. …… My grandfather’s house. …… No, I’d like to get in touch with my grandfather.”

“Eh?　Well, there’s no such thing around here. You have to go to the station.”

　The woman looked at him curiously, and he realized what she meant.

“Ah, I don’t have a cell phone. I really don’t feel the need for it. The station you said, thank you very much. I’ll be back in a bit.”

[TN: their conversation is as awkward as it sounds]

　Well, he didn’t actually have one for financial reasons, but the lady seemed strangely impressed.

“I see. ……. Hold on a second. If you want, I could lend you our phone.　It’s right here.”

　She suggested with a laugh.

“I see…you do not have a cell phone. I wish my daughter would hear that.”

　However, Hiroto jumped at the suggestion because he wanted to get in touch with someone as soon as possible.

“Are you sure?　Sorry about the inconvenience!”

“It’s okay. Let’s go.”

　Hiroto followed the lady and was let inside the Ayasaka residence, which was just around the corner from the place. Then, he borrowed the landline phone from her, which was located at the entrance.

“Call me when you’re done. I’ll be in the back.”

　Hiroto bowed his head, watched as the lady disappears, and hastily made a phone call to his grandfather

　…… There was no answer.

　As he grew increasingly frustrated, he finally heard an unwilling voice.

{Ah, hello. This is the Domori Kenjutsu Dojo. We’re busy at the moment, so please keep your message short. ……}

　This is why we don’t get any students!　But that’s not what’s important right now.

“Grandpa!　It’s me!”

{Hmm?　So, it’s one of those ‘It’s A me’ scams that’s been going around lately. You’re 183 years too young to be trying to cheat me, the gambler of the world. ……”

“No, it’s not!　It’s Hiroto!”

{It was Hiroto, huh. What do you want?　I’m busy right now.  Already homesick, huh?}

　Since Hiroto was in a stranger’s house, he kept his voice low but spoke with all his strength.

“No, I’m not!　Hey, Grandpa!　What is that house!”

{What’s what?}

“Don’t play dumb!　There were all kinds. All kinds of non-humans, ancient and modern!　And some of them were pretty high class!　Quite a bunch, to look so comfortable in such a place with strong sacred energy!”

{Ah, well just relax. I am not understanding what you are saying. ……}

“I’m telling you, the house looks like a haunted house!　Anyway, it was full of monsters, and they were having a party and making it very lively!”

{Oh, good for you. You said that living alone can be lonely.}

　Hiroto’s voice grew louder and louder at the exchange with Tenzo, who wasn’t quite on the same page.

“I’m not talking about that!　I don’t want to say it, but it’s hard to repair a house that’s in such ruins, and I’m saying that I can’t live in a haunted house!”

{Uh …… Hiroto. Well, let’s check the current situation first.}

“What do you mean, “the current situation”?　It’s just what I just said!”

{Hiroto ……, you know that right now, our family, unfortunately, doesn’t have enough money to support you.}

“It had!　Grandpa you’re ……”

{And!　You also insisted that you really, really want to be in high school, no matter what it takes.}

“…… Uh-huh.”

　Although the way he said it didn’t make sense to him, he reluctantly listened to his grandfather.

{So I talked to the principal of Horaiin Kitsurin High School and managed to get him to admit you.}

“…………”

{Also, one of the conditions was that you had to make a living on your own. You accepted it willingly. And moreover, you confirmed that a man does not need two words.}

“…………”

{But I took pity on you, and asked a friend of mine to provide you with a cheap place to live. I’m sure you’ve already said that you’re a man and that you can take care of yourself. And if possible, you could even send money home!}

　Hiroto was thinking, Did I say that before?　He thought.

{That means you’ve already decided what you’re going to do. You’re going to live in that house and live the high school life you’ve always wanted. And you’re going to do everything you can to make that happen. A man can only be a man when he can do what he says he will do!}

　Tenzo spoke passionately as if he was making a speech.

{Do you understand?　You have only one thing to do. You can only persuade the unfaithful people who are occupying the house and tell them who the hell is the landlord.}

“Eh!?　Persuade them, you say, they’re not people, you know. There’s no way I can do that!”

{Fuuh. So you’ve given up. Alas, what is youth for? ……. How can a person from the Domori family say such a thing? And in your case, it would be more difficult if the other party was a human.}

“Even so!”

{Hiroto. Your situation has already been decided. You will live there. And you’ll go to school from there. That’s it. I’m hanging up now. Oh, and don’t come back here. I’ve changed the locks. Show me you can get through this on your own, my unworthy grandson!　…… Oh, I got a cell phone call. This is …… Hiroto, I’m busy!　I have to go!　……Yeah, Himawari-chan?}

　Click.

“Hold on!　He really hung up on me!　That old bastard!”

　Making a fist with the telephone receiver in his hand, Hiroto swore as hard as he could. By the way, Himawari-san is a hired worker for a snack bar that Tenzo is crazy about, and she is also a mother with two children.

　Then, ……, the lady opened the door quietly and came out, looking worriedly at him.

“AH, sorry. I heard a loud voice. …… I was wondering if you’ve made the call yet?”

　Hiroto hastily put the receiver back and tucked his hands behind his back.

“Ah, I’m sorry!　Well, yeah, I couldn’t tell where I left my things, so I spoke louder than I should have. Thank you for lending me your phone.”

“You’re welcome. Are you done?”

“Yes, I’m done!　I can handle the rest on my own!”

“……?　Yeah.”

“Umm!　Thank you very much.”

　Hiroto bowed deeply and left the Ayasaka residence.

—Part I end–

Part II

　Hiroto once again arrived in front of the tattered mansion.

　He took a deep breath in front of the gate. For the time being, he would have a talk with the occupants of the house.

　Fuuh, Hiroto sighed.

　He didn’t know if he could talk to them or not,……, but he had to get his house back.

　He couldn’t afford to have any regular address as soon as he entered high school. Also, the day after tomorrow, he has to go to Miramar at the request of the World Ability Agency.

　It was unacceptable for him to lose his home before he left.

“Now…..All I can do is push forward. My goal is to have a fulfilling high school life!”

　Gradually, his resolve became more and more firm. He inspired himself to start walking.

(If I can’t get through to them ……, I’ll have to think about using force.)

　He didn’t know what kind of person he was dealing with, but they were non-humans. He knew from experience that it was unlikely that he could get through them. What’s more, the content was “This is my house, can you leave?” It would be tough. That was extremely harsh.

He entered the front door and took off his shoes, although he was a little worried.

　Hiroto stood in front of the sliding door in the living room again. Unlike before, not a single sound could be heard from inside, but Hiroto could definitely feel the presence of a non-human being.

　Hiroto pulled himself together and said in a small voice, “Okay, let’s go ……,” and opened the sliding door.

　He has developed a well-developed Senki to deal with any situation. It was a senki that was comparable to that of a skilled Daoist and was elevated until it had spiritual power.[well this’仙氣’ would be Sento(Saint/hermit) Ki so just Senki would work]

　As someone who pursues the path of Saint(Hermit/Immortal), he almost lost his life many times before he was able to achieve this level of mastery. This was the result of unimaginably hard training, mental strength, and a talent that even Sun Wei, one of the three Immortals, called a natural talent.

　When Hiroto entered, there was no electricity, and only a little light from the outside came in through a hole in the shoji.[TN:  In Japan, shoji means wooden sliding doors with translucent paper on.]

　However, in the dimly lit space, there were many dense, non-human signs.

　As he stared into the eyes, searching for the placement of the other party by Senki, Hiroto instantly understood the other party’s position.

“……?”

　Hiroto wondered.

(The opponent’s position is …… neatly lined up?)

　Then suddenly, a small flame lit up in the air in the middle of the room.

　It was a small but powerful flame that illuminated the entire room and gave a clear picture of what was going on in the room.

　There, in a large room of about …… 30 tatami mats, the non-humans were seated in human form in three rows, quietly focusing their gaze in his direction.

(The reason why I could see the inside of the room so well earlier was because of these flames,……. Wait a minute!　That’s not changing. They’re all personified!?　This is not good. …… These guys are more than I imagined.)[[TN: well he says ‘擬人化し’ which could be termed as anthropomorphization or personification]

　Yep, almost all of the non-humans have taken on human form.

　Hiroto’s face became tense.

“You hear me?　Hiroto. Be careful when you encounter a non-human who can personify themselves.”

　His father, Ryoichi, had warned him about this in the past.

“In general, those who are able to personify themselves have a very high spiritual and magical quality. Such beings have accumulated power over an uncanny number of years, and in a broader sense, they are those who are known to be humans and are familiar with humans.”

“Personification?”

“Yeah, not just something that looks like a human, you know?　Most people with abilities can recognize the change. But the personification is more natural, and some of them are even hard to recognize if we are not careful. And there are also high-ranking non-humans, such as vampires, whose original form is no different from humans.”

“That’s …… scary. Dad, what do you mean by known by humans?”

“Well, to put it simply ……, it’s something that’s very rare, but it’s something that people have faith in, or fear of, or even passed down as folklore.”

“That’s …….”

“The power of the non-human is closely related to that of the human. Their power increases when they are strongly recognized by people, such as when they are adored or feared. The power gained in this way will never diminish. It is the same way that demon gods(Majin) and evil spirits(Akuma) desire the negative emotions of people, such as fear and hatred.”

“……”

“Well, I went off-topic, but although Personified non-humans have a high ability to communicate, their power is beyond human comprehension. If you ever have to confront one, remember this well.”

　After that, Hiroto experienced this very thing in the demon world to the point of disgust.

　The reason why Gaston, a vampire, had the fearsome power of a quasi-demon god was probably not unrelated to the fact that the vampire race was strongly recognized by people.

　Remembering this, Hiroto looked around at the non-humans with the utmost caution.

　Some of them crossed their arms with a difficult look on their face, some of them looked at him as if they were trying to evaluate him, some of them looked at him with curiosity, and some of them looked very bloodthirsty and were breathing hard when they saw him.

　Some of them are a bit different from the others, but …….

(Is that a …… dog?　It looks like a normal dog to me. ……)

　The scene in front of him was very different from what Hiroto had imagined, so he was standing at the sliding door in confusion when a woman in a kimono came forward from the front row.

　Of course, she was not a human.

“Hello, cute little brother.”

“……eh?　H-Hello there.”

“Don’t just stand there, please take a seat.”

　He looked around and saw that there was a cushion laying on the floor in front of him.

　Rather, it was as if the other side had prepared a seat for discussion, and Hiroto was taken aback.

　He was wondering what to do, but he didn’t feel it would be good for the discussion if he suddenly rejected them, so he sat down on the cushion as he was urged.

(There are about thirty of them in all. ……)

　The woman in front of him, who may have seen through Hiroto’s caution, narrowed her eyes and smiled at him.

“Little brother, you have come here to talk to us, haven’t you?”

　Hiroto looked at the woman up close and felt unconsciously nervous in a different way.

　Her breasts swayed lustily and sensitively, and she had large, slit eyes, thin eyebrows, and long eyelashes.

　Her inverted triangle contour and thick red lips showed her presence.

　She was also wearing a kimono loosely, which exposed her cleavage, and her white porcelain-like body was visible from the side of the kimono where she was sitting.

　Indeed, she was exuding the charm of an adult woman without regret.

　The flames drifting in the sky above crossed between them, and the shadows cast by the flames gave the impression of bewitchment. Hiroto nodded his head, intuitively thinking that this person must be the leader.

“Yes, I’m the one who moved here.”

　Immediately, the crowd began to rustle.

　The flames that were floating in the air and illuminating the room increased in intensity while maintaining their size.

　The woman who had come out in front of them began to speak again, and the other non-humans quieted down.

“Little brother is an ability user ……, right?　So you know what we are, don’t you?”

“Yes, …….”

“I’m the one who manages the place. Everyone calls me Kiyoko.”

“Kiyoko ……san?

　The woman who introduced herself as the “Kiyoko” looked at him with an enchanting expression.

“Fufu……, so little brother mentioned that he was here to move in, but as you can see, we’re the first to use this place. Well, most of us here only come to visit once in a while, and only six of us actually use it often. But hey, it’s been decades. So I’m sorry, but little brother can’t live here.”

　The reaction was just as he had expected. Hiroto frowned and began to ponder what he should do.

　While Hiroto was silent,……, without warning and in a natural movement, Kiyoko came close to him.

　Because there was no hostility, even though he was on guard, his reaction was delayed for a moment.

　After that….when he was wondering, he was then suddenly hugged by her with both hands and pulled him to her chest.

“Hey!　Stop!”

　Hiroto got stifled by the situation and his body froze.

(I am done!　Is this an attack?　Is this a new kind of attack?　My breath is ……!)

　His face was enveloped by two large soft objects, which made him feel momentarily dizzy. Despite this, her chest was originally open. Skin-to-skin contact like this was something he had never felt before …….

　Moreover, as he was pressed against them, it completely closed off Hiroto’s cheeks and respiratory organs.

“Muu—-!!　Muuuu!!”

　Regardless of his struggles, Kiyoko hugged him like crazy and made a …… sexy voice.

“Oh, what is it? Little brother is cute ……. I wonder if I should live with him after all?　Ah!　Already …… Fufu. He’s so cuddly …… I want him to be my lover. Mmm, even my husband would be fine. ……”

　She hugged the struggling Hiroto even tighter, raising her lusty voice.

　The other non-humans just looked at her as if they were dumbfounded.

　In the end, one of them stood up and forced her way in between the two of them.

“Hey!　Kiyoko!　What are you doing!　We’ve already agreed to kick this person out!　Besides, I have something to say to this brother later!”

　After saying that, she pulled Hiroto away from Kiyoko by force.

“Nowa!”

　Hiroto, who nearly fainted, put his hands behind him as he was pulled off from Kiyoko, and in his pathetic position, his respiratory organs worked at full throttle.

“Gasp. ….I thought I was going to die.”[I don’t mind dying that way]

When Hiroto looked up at the person who had helped him, he saw that she was, surprisingly, a middle school-aged girl. She had shoulder-length hair, and her face was completely devoid of expression, giving her the appearance of being very clever.

　To the girl, Kiyoko arched her back and spread her palms in front of her chest.

“Ahaha …… sorry sorry, I got a little carried away …….”

　Kiyoko made excuses to the girl standing in front of her, but she showed no sign of remorse. And Hiroto’s eyes met with the girl’s crisp brown eyes.

“T-Thank you.”

　When Hiroto immediately thanked her, the girl looked concerned.

“Yeah, are you okay?”

　he said, and then recreated a stern expression as if in a huff.

” Not at all!　Big brother is a big brother too, couldn’t you get away with something like that right away?　Hmph!　You were incredibly strong when you were……”[Tsun Tsun]

　The last part was gibberish, and though he couldn’t hear it well, he could tell that she was …… angry.

　It’s not the kind of pressure you can just walk away from. But when this girl reprimanded him, he felt a little ashamed of himself and looked …… down.

“I’m sorry,…….”

　The girl looked sorry for a moment, but then hurriedly pulled herself together and glared at Kiyoko as if to cover it up.

　Kiyoko shook her hips, and with a blush on her cheeks, lightly pinched her own cheeks with both hands.

“I’m sorry, …… Shiro-chan. I like it a little bit,……, and it made my body tingle.”

“Jeez!　Let’s do this properly, Kiyoko!”

Putting herself to cover Kiyoko and raising her eyebrows, Shiro turned to Hiroto as if she had noticed something.

“….Hmm?　What is it?”

　Shiro made a strange face.

“I thought it was weird before, but …… is this due to you, oni-san?　Reiki?　Spiritual power?　Is it just being released like this?　But there’s something weird about it. This doesn’t feel manipulative. It’s like it’s leaking out. ……”

　Shiro had a curious look on her face and looked at Hiroto as if she was measuring him. Then Kiyoko came out of the side with vigor.

“Isn’t it?　I noticed it right away when we were talking, and I thought it was weird. It was because he was giving off his spiritual power so plainly. But when I was exposed to his spiritual power, I could understand his personality. This feeling is …… very good.”

 Hiroto looked back at Kiyoko as if he was troubled, and tried to respond to them.

“I wondered if any of my friends who happened to be here today had anything like this. Is it leaking all the time?　And the amount is quite large. Oni-san, are you by any chance a person of great ability?”

　Shiro asked him a series of questions.

　Suddenly, she looked at him as if he was somehow looking into the distance.

　Hiroto felt uncomfortable about the change in the girl’s mood.

“You’re a human, and you have this amazing spiritual power. Hmm?　What is this?　Different?　There’s something behind this …….”

　Hiroto noticed that something was off about the girl.

( This is being investigated! )

“Waa!　Aah, this?　This is!　Well, it’s a peculiar constitution!　I can’t even control it!　That’s why I’m a failure as a spiritual user……”

　The girl’s body reacts to the sudden loud voice and focuses on Hiroto.

“Huh?　Is it my imagination ……?　I’m sorry, but oni-san’s voice made me stutter.”

“Sorry about that, uh, …… Pai Chan-san?”[Play of words 白(Shiro) means white パイ which is its furigana says Pai(pie which also means white tile correlating to white 白) any experts here like the one who helped me with Hiroto’s name]

 I didn’t really just shout out loud, but …… Hiroto didn’t mention that and apologized.

“It’s Shiro!”

“Ah, Shiro ……-san?

　Shiro glared at him, so he properly said her name. She may think she is intimidating, but her appearance is not intimidating at all. Her appearance was so amusing that it almost made Hiroto smile.

　Next to them, Kiyoko was watching the exchange with a relaxed expression.

　When Hiroto noticed her gaze and glanced at her, she said, “You see,” and sat down on her side, putting her hands on her cheeks and wiggling her hips.

　Seeing that, he felt weak.

(Is it my imagination? ……)

“Oni-san, even though you are an ability user, you can’t even control your spiritual power?”

　Shiro asked while touching the painful spot of Hiroto.

“Uh!　…… Y-Yeah.”

“Ah, ……, but it’s not just the quantity, it’s the density. Is this okay all the time?　Don’t you feel tired?”

　Hiroto found out that Shiro noticed his pained expression and casually changed the subject, and even though he knew she was a  non-human being, he thought she was being kind.

“I’ve been like this since I was born. And I basically don’t use spiritual power, so it doesn’t mean much to me. So I don’t get tired or anything.”

“Hmm.”

　The non-humans, which felt completely left behind by this exchange, began to tremble.

　Both Shiro and Kiyoko noticed the disquieting atmosphere of the non-human beings…….

“Ah, ………dangerous”

　Kiyoko felt like it was too late, but she tightened her expression and turned her body towards him.

“Oni-san. Let’s get back to the topic at hand, as this Shiro-chan says, we have no intention of vacating this place. I’m sorry, but we have to ask you to leave. We don’t want to make a mess of things either.”

　When she said that, the already irritated non-humans fell forward.

“That’s right!　That’s right!”

“This is our place of rest!”

　He was almost overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and power, but  Hiroto thought about it, he had nowhere else to go. He couldn’t just pull out of this. For the sake of his future high school life.

　He mustered up the courage to sit upright and face the front once again.

“I can’t leave either!　This is the only place I can live. ……”

　As soon as he did, the energy of the non-humans rose and they instantly surrounded him in a circle.

“I don’t care about that!”

“You can’t take this place!”

“I don’t care what you humans have to say!”

　In response to the tremendous storm of abuse, Hiroto desperately tried to quiet them down, even though he thought it would be useless.

“Look everyone, calm down, calm down. Somehow, we can talk it out there…….”

　Hiroto desperately searched for a person who could talk to him even though he was surrounded.

　When he looked at Kiyoko, she noticed his gaze and brought her face close to his and breathed into his ear.

“I’ll think about it if you become my husband.”

　She was dismissed.

(I wonder who this person is ……)

　When Hiroto looked at Shiro, she had a troubled expression on her face and shook her head with her eyes, as if to say, “Not me! I can’t!”

　Then, his eyes meet with a girl behind him who looks to be about the same age as Shiro.

　He didn’t know what kind of person she was, but she had eye-catching straight red hair and wore a gothic dress with red as its base color.

　Hiroto thought he could talk to the girl somehow, and even tried to talk to her, but she gave him a …… blank and very cold stare.

“……………… (jii)”

　Not a word was uttered. She looked at him from Shiro’s back and just gazed at him coldly.

　That gaze made it hard for Hiroto and broke his …… heart. Hiroto took off his gaze and lightly wiped his tears.

(I didn’t know that a girl’s cold stare could hurt my heart so much. ……)

　Regaining his composure, he turned his head to the other side of Kiyoko…..  to see if there was anyone else he could talk to.

　There was one person, a young man with long hair, who did not join this circle, but sat on the floor and crossed his arms while closing his eyes.

　He was a so-called …… great looking man(ikemen). As a man, he has no choice but to give in to his looks. He has intelligent eyes and nose and a quiet air about him. What kind of incarnation is this?　While thinking, he thought that he could talk to this person properly.

“Ah, um, …….”

　As soon as he spoke out to the guy, ……Gi!　He opened his eyes.

“Hii!.”

　A tremendous deadly …… pressure was received because of his beautiful face.

(S-Scary~ It seemed impossible to talk with this person. …… Or rather, more than impossible.)

　While still receiving the swearing from the non-humans, he did not know what to do anymore.

　Then…….ton, an elbow rested on Hiroto’s shoulder. He looked to find the owner of the elbow. There was a middle-aged man in a kimono, with a small frame.

　But the arm that stretched out from the …… sleeve was like a log, muscular and strong. The muscular little man crouched down and spoke to Hiroto.

“Oni-san. Give up now and go home. Don’t feel bad, the people here have calmed down now, but in the past, they were unruly and rough. For now, I’ll keep them under control. Come on, go home. Eh?　Why this, you ask?　Well, it’s nothing worth mentioning, it’s just that …… Everyone calls me Gen, the playboy.”

“……”

(Why the Edo-period townsman look?　What is it?　This dense old man.)

　His face was shiny, and his eyes were narrow, but every part of his face was assertive. However, there is something charming about him and was wondering how it was decided.

　What’s more, the non-human who called himself …… Gen had the collar of the right shoulder of his kimono peeled back to reveal a glimpse of a cherry blossom tattoo. Moreover, the tattoo of the cherry blossom is also poorly done, like graffiti.

　Gen was staring at him and looking like he was waiting for something to happen.

(Ah, ……, maybe, Who are you!　He wants me to say that….)

“Um, …… who are you?”

　Gen was already waiting with a big smile!　And made such a face.

　He then pulled out his hand from his sleeve and slid it out of his collar, exposing his right shoulder.

“This Gen-san’s cherry blossoms in full bloom, if you want to see them scatter, it can be done!”

“No, you’re jumping too much. The scene is too much. Why do you suddenly lose your temper? I shouldn’t have gotten on that train, it’s embarrassing!”

　Gen seemed to be completely oblivious to Hiroto’s prodding and was shaking with emotion. Maybe he just wanted to do this.

(I’m getting tired of these people. Well they are not exactly …… people.)

　He had expected the conversation to be confusing, but it turned out to be confusing in a different way than he had thought.[TN: For god’s sake, it’s even more confusing for me]

“Ara ara, what’s wrong with you guys?　Are you guys playing?”

　A woman’s voice with no sense of urgency could be heard from behind the crowd of people surrounding Hiroto.

　She was different from Kiyoko, Shiro, and the red-haired girl from earlier.

“Oh, Sally-san!　Welcome!”

“Hello, Shiro-chan. What is this scene?　Oh, who’s this oni-san over there?”

　Apparently, there was one more person who came later…….

—Part II end–

Part III

The woman, called Sally, was dressed in a long skirt with a long slit and bare feet, was listening to Shiro’s explanation with a “hmmmm.

“Well, is it this about this oni-san?　…… Hmmm, but he seems like a nice guy…”

“Sally-san!　We’ve already decided!　And that’s all to it …..”

“Um, I’d like to continue our discussion. ……”

　While Hiroto said this, it was beginning to feel like the discussion was impossible.

　He didn’t really want to, but he began to think that a fight was unavoidable.

　But there are so many of them. And each of them seemed to be very tough.

　If he wanted to fight them, he would have to be very prepared.

　Without changing his expression, Hiroto quietly …… began to knead a small amount of Senki into his navel Dantian so that it would not be obvious. It is very small, but it is a dense senki.[What is this? a Chinese Novel now]

　This Senki is like a turbocharged engine of energy that Hiroto has acquired in actual combat in the demon world.

　It is a technique that Hiroto developed to compensate for his own shortcomings as a slow starter in battle. He kneads Senki secretly without anyone noticing, and when he releases it, he instantly draws out its full power.

　However, as soon as he prepared for the eventuality, the room went silent.

(……hm?　No way!　Exposed already!?)

　Hiroto broke out in a cold sweat. With this, it is no wonder that others will think that it was Hiroto who set the trap.

He felt the pressure from behind and glanced back with a bad premonition and a sense of …… danger to himself.

There was Kiyoko, the red-haired girl, and the woman who had just been called Sally, on all fours, staring at him.

　Moreover, at close range.

　The three women with flushed faces were fidgeting around their thighs, and Shiro was standing behind them, keeping her distance, but still giving them a feverish look.

“Ah, um, …… you’re a bit close. E-everyone?”

　Hiroto wondered if his earlier kneading of Senki had drawn out the other party’s wariness, but that didn’t seem to be the case. But for some reason, He was scared.

　Three beautiful women, beautiful girls, crawling on all fours, came sizzling towards him.

　Hiroto subconsciously stepped back, trying to keep his distance.

　As the faces of the three of them lined up to the point where they were almost touching each other, Kiyoko looked at him wide-eyed and spoke up.

“Sally. You just got back,……, what do you think?　This oni-san…….”

“I think …… is very good. I can feel it from his spirit and Senki.”

“Isn’t it?　Doesn’t it feel good?　You know that, right?”

　Hiroto’s face turned pale.

“Well, ……, what are you talking about?”

　Hiroto broke out in a cold sweat at how easy they found out about Senki.

　Ignoring the surprised Hiroto, Kiyoko now spoke to the red-haired girl.

“What about Susan?”

“…………(full)”

“Oh?　Su-chan likes it too?”

“……delighted”

　The red-haired girl who was called Susan also put her face close between Kiyoko and Sally and stared.

　Hiroto pulled back his waist and tensed up because of his poor stance and spacing, but as usual, the three of them did not seem to have the will to fight. So, he couldn’t figure out what they were thinking.

　The three were slowly approaching…..and Hiroto was backing away as  if to match.

“Kiyoko-san, Sally-san, uh, …… Susan-san?　When you’re this close, it’s …… hard to have a discussion.”

“Please call me Kiyoko.”

“And I’m Sally.”

“…… Susan.”

　Hiroto’s back touched the wall of earth, and he felt uncomfortable.

　He felt his body was in danger …….

　But, somehow, it is a danger that is not a mortal danger.

　A red liquid flowed from the nostrils of Kiyoko who was staring at him without blinking.

“T-that…… got a nosebleed. As a woman, how is that?　It’s ……, just wow!”

　As if the nosebleed was a signal, Kiyoko jumped into Hiroto as if she couldn’t take it anymore.

　And a moment later, Sally and Susan followed suit.

“Gyaaa!　Hey!　Why are you doing that?　I don’t know what’s going on here!　Mugwu.”

“aahh, Oni-san!　I can’t take it anymore!　If you give me that much Senki, I’m going to ……”

“It’s the same for Sally, too!　Chuu!”

“…………(full!) Chuu!”

　The three of them embraced, kissed and squeezed Hiroto as they wished.

“It hurts!　It hurtsssss!　Your eyes, your eyes are scary, they’re scary!　Ah, come on!　Don’t take off my clothes!”

　From the outside, it was difficult to see where Hiroto was, and the others were so overwhelmed by the three; Kiyoko and co, that they could only watch. Hiroto also tried to escape, but it didn’t work.

(No, they are too powerful to escape!　Wow, there are soft ones everywhere ……!)

“Hey, don’t kiss me!　Don’t take off my clothes!　Ah………there. P-Please  someone help me!”

　In the end, he forgot about himself and even asked for help from other people.

(It can’t be helped. It’s a shame, but not ……!　It’s for escape!)

　Hiroto’s Senki rose and began to circulate throughout Hiroto’s body at ……, and then

　Supan!　Supan!　Supan!　A pleasant, popping sound was heard three times.

“Ouch!”

“It hurts!”

“…… (teary-eyed)”

Then the tightening finally loosened, and the three people who had attacked Hiroto in a different way pressed their heads together with their hands.

　When he looked at the source, he could see Shiro standing there with a pair of slippers in each hand, trembling.

“All of you!　What are you doing?　And even Sally-san and Susan !”

　Hiroto hurriedly escaped during this moment and hid behind Shiro’s back.

　And from behind her back, he glared at the three of them with vigilant, kitten-like eyes.

　The three beauties, which had almost become beasts, came back to their senses and sullenly said, “I’m sorry”.

“What the hell!　Our goal is to get rid of this oni-san, isn’t it!　Generally speaking, I’m the only one who has business with this oni-san. ……Eh?”

　When Shiro was about to go into preaching mode by pointing at Hiroto who was right behind him, she slowly checked Hiroto’s figure from top to bottom and stiffened …….

　Hiroto’s upper body was now bare, his jeans were unbuckled, and his zipper was fully open. Furthermore,……, the underwear within it is also half off,…….

　And Shiro’s face was suddenly dyed bright red from neck to forehead.

　Only after looking at the state of the Shiro, Hiroto realized that his appearance was not as it should be.

“I’m sorry!　I’ll wear it correctly right away. ……”

“kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

“Ehhhhhhhh!?　Guha!”

　A thud sound came!　He was not sure.

　When Shiro swung her slipper, she hit Hiroto with an impact that drowned out her own scream.

　Hiroto was blown away as if he were a piece of paper that had lost its weight.

　A moment later, (I let my guard down ……. But I didn’t know slippers were so powerful ……), and then he crashed into a wall.

　Hiroto was covered in debris from the wall and pillar, and his consciousness went dark.[I HATE PATHETIC MC]

　Hiroto regained consciousness after a few moments…… but it was difficult to confirm the situation.

　Shaking his head, he got up from the cushion on the tattered tatami mat.

　When he looked around him, he saw that the non-humans were sitting in three rows, as they had been in the beginning, and were concentrating on him.

“Huh?”

　Hiroto looked puzzled, and then Kiyoko came out and smiled, pushing Shiro, who had been hiding behind her, forward.

　Shiro looked down and could not look at …… him.

“Oni-san,……, I’m sorry. I ……. was”

　Apparently, she is referring to the fact that she flipped Hiroto off with her slippers earlier.

　As his consciousness became clearer, Hiroto felt a strange sensation.

　Because when he tried to move in here, they were trying to get rid of him.

　If so, they could have just thrown him outside, or if they were bad, they could have just taken his life.

　But now, right in front of him, he could see Shiro looking down at with her shoulders slumped and Kiyoko was next to her.

　From the other side, Sally also put her hand on Shiro’s shoulder, looking worried. Susan was also staring at her, but only slightly, as if she was worried.

　For Hiroto, this was also unexpected.

　In fact, the discussion earlier had been so rough that it seemed like it was out of control.

　But the sight of these people, worriedly caring for Shiro, was like a pair of close sisters.

　Despite receiving a blow that would not have been enough for a normal human being, Hiroto’s mouth naturally slackened at the sight.

　However, perhaps because he was aware of the fact that he had given such a shock, Shiro was sitting upright with her small body.

　Certainly, an ordinary person would have …… well, died instantly, but …….

“Shiro-san.”

“Yes …….”

　Shiro was sullen and a little tearful.

“…… Don’t worry so much about it.”

“Eh?”

　She looked up in surprise. At the same time, a white triangular ear popped up on her head.

　Looking at it, Hiroto wondered what kind of metamorphosis it was?　He thought so but kept talking.

“I’m not angry at all. I think it could not be helped for Shiro-san to be surprised,……. And even though I look like this, I’m sturdy, so don’t worry!”

　While saying that, Hiroto smiled and showed it.

　Shiro was listening while hurriedly holding her ears that had come out. Then she lightly cleaned her eyes and …… finally showed a smile. Hiroto nodded happily when he saw it, and both Kiyoko and Sally’s expression became calm at the exchange. And for Susan, she was staring at him.

　And the non-humans behind Kiyoko were all staring at him as if they were surprised or looking at something strange.

“Yes!　So, let’s get back to the story. Although the topic went off the rail, but oni-san wants to live in this house. And we have no intention of giving it up. That’s the current situation!”

“I think most of the detour is due to Kiyoko-san’s child’s fault. ……”

“Therefore!”

“Ignoring it huh”

　And, Hiroto also came back to reality thanks to what Kiyoko had said.

　……The problem has not been solved at all.

“So oni-san. I have a proposal, why don’t you play a game with us?”

“A game?”

“Yes. It’s simple, whoever wins will live in this house. How about it ……?”

　Though it was a sudden proposal, Hiroto thought it over calmly.

　Certainly, it was impossible to discuss in the first place. It may be better to play a game or a match to make it easier to understand.

(It depends on the content. ……. If we were to decide on a battle, this would be a disadvantage in terms of numbers. But in any case, I can’t just leave like this. ……)

“…… What’s the game?”

　Kiyoko smiled and.

“We have a traditional game that we play to smooth out any conflicts that may arise. It is …… a competition to bring in a selected item!”

　Kiyoko said cheerfully.

“”””Geeeeeeeeeeee!””””

　The non-humans around him all shouted in unison, almost like a scream.

“Competition to bring a dried selected?”[Hiroto says sentei hin jisan kyoso(せんていひんじさんきょうそう) but the Kanji reads as sentei shina jisan kyoso(せんていしなじさんきょうそう)]

“I’ll explain!　It’s a game where the winner is the one who brings the item selected by each other earlier. Of course, it’s one-on-one. You each write the name of your favorite item on ten pieces of paper, put them in a box, and draw one piece of paper from each other. It’s a simple game where you have to bring the item written on the paper before your opponent does. When we play it together, we don’t limit the distance, but this time we’ll limit it to Seiji city.”

(T-that’s like a …… dynamic scavenger hunt. ……)

“Naturally, you don’t know what you’re going to pull, but you’ll be writing half of it yourself, so don’t write anything too simple. You have to think about the risk that the other person will pull it out. The trick is to write something that is advantageous to you, but not too easy for them.”

　Hiroto was wondering what to do. It is a rule that is not bloody. He might as well accept it.

　However, fairness is the problem. As long as that is not guaranteed, he couldn’t accept it.

　As if reading the thoughts of Hiroto, Kiyoko proposed.

“Fufufu, then you can draw the paper specially for us and for oni-san, both of them can be from oni-san. And the box can be one that oni-san prepared. You can trust me with this, right?”

　Hiroto thinks that it would certainly be …….

　The only risk is to bring out an opponent with exploration capabilities and win the game.

“If there is someone who has the exploration ability, the disadvantage is overwhelming,…….”

“Well, that also depends on the strategy. …… But, this time, we don’t have anyone with that kind of ability. You’ll have to trust me on this, but it’s true. I swear on our pride.”

　Hiroto listened in silence.

“And I forgot to tell you that it’s basically okay to use your abilities. But I want you to be objective in what you write. This is an extreme example, but if it’s something like [ a pencil that A-kun used two years ago ], it’s hard to judge, isn’t it?　In this case, I would like you to limit it to “A-kun’s pencil]. You can also write people’s names, but please take into account that this time it’s limited to this city. For example, you can write [B’s favorite person] or [C’s grandmother], but if the target person is out in another city, the game won’t work.”

(That’s natural. However, depending on what is written, I feel like it could be something trivial. …… Hmmm, but I have to take the game even if I think about it. ……)

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t like it either.”

“Rather, this rule was decided by Kiyoko when she was drunk. When did it become a tradition?”

　There were some points that were somewhat concerning, but …….

“……I understand. I accept the challenge. Since I don’t have anywhere else to go either. I want to live in this house, no matter what.”

　When she heard that Hiroto was going to accept the match, she seemed to be very happy.

“Yes!　It’s settled then!　So, who’s going to play from here?”

　Kiyoko looked around at her friends and they all turned their heads away.

　Still, she was looking around smilingly, and after a while,……, Susan, who was surprisingly quiet, quietly raised her hand.

“Oh?　So Susan is going to do it. It’s settled!　Then, you write down ten of your favorite things. I’ll be the judge. Also, Susan, I have a favor to ask you. …… The content is …….”

　Kiyoko took out 20 pieces of paper and handed 10 of them to Hiroto, and then handed the remaining 10 to Susan while talking about something in private.

　While thinking that there is something fishy about ……, Hiroto pondered what to write on the paper.

◆

　With the competition to bring in a selection of products already prepared, everyone came out to the courtyard, which although completely unmaintained, was large enough.

“Yes!　Okay, let’s have you draw the paper. Are you ready, oni-san?”

“Ah, yes.”

　Hiroto pulled out a raffle box that he had made from a tissue box in the tent.

“Then, as I told you before, draw the paper with the items that you have to bring. We’ll start with Susan’s.”

　Hiroto stuck his hand into the box, a little nervously, and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

“Alright, hand it over here. Let’s see, the contents are …….”

　Kiyoko looked at the paper with Susan. Then Susan’s face turned vermillion, almost as if she could hear it.”

(What is it?　What’s written on it?)

“Aah, it’s started. ……”

“It’s definitely written by Kiyoko.”

　A sickening voice could be heard from outside the group.

“Susan is [the underwear worn by the person you like the most out of the opposite sex you’ve recently met]!”[TN: I hate this MC so muuuuuuuuuuuuuch]

“Eeeeeeeh–!”

　Hiroto shouts, rolling his eyes.

(Is that ……?　What the hell is this person writing?　And can you even judge that?)

　Susan turned red, but she was clearly staring at him.

　Hiroto felt a chill run through him and he unconsciously backed away.

“Yes, yes. It seems that Susan has already decided. You are very popular, oni-san. Hurry up and pull yours oni-san.”

　Kiyoko urged him with a big smile.

(T-This is …… I have to draw the one I wrote for sure!)

　He put his hand in the box as if he were praying. Please!　Please!　He took out a piece of paper, ruminating over and over in his mind.

“Yes!　Give it to me here. What is it? What is it, what is it?　Damn, it’s a hit. ……”

　Looking at Kiyoko’s expression, Hiroto felt a sincere sense of relief.

(Yosh!　She took the one I wrote!)

　Hiroto took the paper from somewhat bored Kiyoko.

　What are the contents?　[Is it Hakamada Ichigo’s recently purchased game software?]　[Snack food glitter corn teriyaki flavor] (rare and only sold in one store around here as far as Hiiroto knows)?　He unfolded the folded paper.

“Um, …….”

[Underwear of the opposite sex]

“…………..wha?”

　Hiroto’s behavior stopped abruptly. He rubbed his eyes with his arm and looked at the contents again.

“Under………..wear?”

　What it says is a word …… [underwear of the opposite sex].

“What’s the point of thissssssssss!!”

“It’s the easiest thing I’ve ever written.

“Hey!　Is this all you wrote?”

　Hiroto took out all the papers in the box.

　Except for the ones written by him, on eight of the papers that seem to be the handwriting of Kiyoko has the same “Underwear worn by the person of the opposite sex you have met most recently” that Susan has pulled.

　There was only one [Kiyoko’s underwear ( seriously, to escape – oni-san needs to negotiate)] in it.

“…………”

　It’s true that it’s a hit, but ……. Hiroto glared at Kiyoko.

“Ah~ah. I’m a little disappointed, but I’m going to start the game right away. Okay?”

“…….can’t help it”

(But, what to do with this?)

“…….”

　Kiyoko raises her right hand before shouting.

“Then …….”

　What should Hiroto do?　His head was spinning about a thousand times a second.

(The opposite sex’s underwear ……. What should I do with that!　Borrow them from someone?)

　For a moment, Matsuri’s face came to his mind ……, but Hiroto shakes his head violently.

(Who’s going to lend it to me? !　I’ll end up being treated like a pervert!)

　Even when he returned to his parents’ house, he lived with his grandfather. There was no way he could have such a thing. Rather, it would be bad if there was one. But then he thought about his grandfather…… no, he felt that it would be better not to look for it.

　It is for the sake of mental health.

(……T-That’s it!　I just need to buy it!　It’s embarrassing, but I have to buy it.)

　While he was having such thoughts, Kiyoko swung her hand down.

“Start!”

　Hiroto confirmed that Susan had leaped onto him at the same time as the shout.

　No, …… just with that action, Hiroto knew that she was out of the norm.

　Her speed was frightening and instantaneous. It’s an unthinkable move if you don’t know she’s not human. Susan’s footprints were deeply embedded in the ground.

　But to Hiroto, it was as he had expected. In response to Susan’s explosive speed, he dodged with a minimal circular motion using his left foot as the axis.

　As they passed each other, their eyes met in those few tenths of a second. Hiroto could clearly see that Susan’s eyes had taken on an astonishing hue.

　Susan immediately returned to her original expression, and even after being dodged by Hiroto, she kept her speed up and jumped onto the trunk of a large tree in the garden in front of her, approaching from diagonally behind Hiroto, who had dodged her in a circular motion in the manner of a triangle jump. The huge tree swayed with momentum.

　In response, Hiroto immediately put out his left arm diagonally to defend himself against Susan.

　Susan’s mouth loosened just a little. She instantly changed her policy to grab the left hand that Hiroto put out. To begin with, her goal was to catch Hiroto.

　Her hand grabbed Hiroto’s left arm,……, but the moment she grabbed it, Hiroto’s left arm moved up and down as if it were swelling. The axis of his body remains in a circular motion.

　Susan’s hand was touching Hiroto’s arm. The only thing left to do was to grab it, but the arm moved like a wave from the bottom to the top at a perfect speed, and although she was touching it, she couldn’t really feel it and couldn’t grab it.

　Susan, who was still trying to grab his arm, jumped upward as if she was being led by his arm. Rather, she was made to jump.

　Susan was forced to jump up several meters, and for a moment, Hiroto disappeared from sight.

　At the same time, Susan felt someone jumping behind her.

　It was the worst possible situation to be caught behind, but this time Susan thought she had won.

　If she had jumped, Hiroto would have been able to attack her in some way. ……

　But if he could have jumped, it would have been a different story.

　Suddenly, a beautiful, fiery crimson wing emerges from Susan’s slender back.

　Susan flaps her wings, turns around, grabs Hiroto’s hand, and clutches him in the air as she comes up behind him.

　It was hard to tell from Susan’s scant expression, but it was a face that said, “I got you.”

“Susan!　It’s me! Hey, it’s me!　Oni-san threw me!　Wa-wa-wa, don’t let go of me!　I can’t fly!”

“……!”

—-Part III end—-

Part IV

　Susan was surprised to see that the figure behind her was not Hiroto, but Gen. And when she looked for him in the sky, she couldn’t find him.

　On the surface, she could see that Kiyoko, Shiro, and Sally were also surprised and looking for Hiroto. It seems that even Kiyoko and the others couldn’t figure out how Hiroto and Gen had switched places.

　Susan hurriedly set Gen down on the roof and quickly flew away towards the city.

　Kiyoko and the rest of the non-humans left in the courtyard were also staring at Susan’s figure as she moved away in the sky.[TN: Any alternatives for non-humans?]

　Not even a minute had passed between this attack and defense.

　Shiro stood between Kiyoko and Sally, stunned and powerless.

“Maybe that……., oni-san…..is a wonderful person?”

“…… such amazing body movements.”

　Next to them, the long-haired handsome young man snorted involuntarily, and Kiyoko only smiled slightly.

“Kiyoko, did you know that the boy’s Senki was this great?　I haven’t seen such a high level of inner strength in a long time. If he is this good then, he is at a level where he can compete with us now. He may not be as old as he looks. Just how old is he really?”

　The young man turned to look at Kiyoko and she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

“I’d say just over 15 years.”

“What!?　Don’t be stupid. No way that’s true!”

　The young man, who had maintained a calm expression throughout, was astonished.

“It’s true, I’m sure. I could feel his physical age when I hugged him.”

“A human being of that age who has developed such a high level of Senki… …… What kind of training does he have to go through? It’s not a matter of talent. No way, he must have extinguished his physical body and practiced the methods of the Immortals of the Earth …….”

“No no, there’s no way you can acquire such pure Senki with that. That was clearly the result of cultivation. Yeah, …… But I’m sure he’s had to go through many life-threatening experiences, both in training to acquire that level of Senki. Senki is something that is enhanced through a series of overcoming. You know that, don’t you, Gokou?[TN: his name was 傲光 with furigana ごうこう, so I went with Gokou cause why not If I have to go through kanji Arrogant Light would not make any sense. ]

“……”

　The Handsome young man who was called Gokou fell silent.

　Then when Kiyoko thought of the human boy she had just met, and with whom she had had a brief conversation, her eyes flashed for a moment with sadness.

“A boy of only fifteen or six years of age, who has gone through insane training and soul-crushing experiences, and yet has never lost the sparkle in his heart. ……”

　When she muttered this, Kiyoko’s face immediately brightened up and she looked around at the people around her and chuckled.

“Why does that child attract us so much?　For some reason, no one went berserk, and it’s rare for Gokou to get emotional with a human boy.”

　Everyone except Shiro and Sally was looking away from Kiyokos’ gaze.

“Fufufu, I think everyone can sense it, right?　Expectation?　Joy?　Or have you already figured it out?　That he deserves to be connected to us. In soul, in spirit, and inability. Our meeting was a miracle, an inevitability. I don’t like the intervention of the idiot hermit, but I guess it’s worth the extra change this time.”

　Then Shiro looked up at Kiyoko.

“But how did that oni-san acquire Senki when he has so much spiritual power?　If he had that kind of spiritual power, he would be an amazing Spiritual Scholar.”

“I don’t know about that, but …… the important thing is…”

“……?”

“His spiritual power and his Senki are wonderful!　It feels so good, you know?”

“…… Yes!”

　Sally smiled as Shiro nodded cheerfully, while Gokou sighed and crossed his arms.

(Yes!　Somehow I managed to get some distance!)

　Hiroto had already runoff from the house grounds and was heading towards the station.

(But, looks like Susan can fly I wonder if she’s a bird incarnate or something. I guess I should be careful in the air. ……)

　But here’s the thing. Just running away would not cut it. This game requires you to complete the task that was given to you.

　Thinking about it, Hiroto had another headache.

　Anyway, he decides to go to the underwear section of the mall in front of the station, where there are specialty stores. While keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings, including the sky above, Hiroto made his way to the mall, blending in with the crowds.

　After quickly checking the map of the sales floor at the entrance of the mall, Hiroto finally arrived at the lingerie section on the third floor of the mall on the lady’s floor. There had been no time loss at all so far.

　All he had to do was buy some women’s underwear and go home. ……

“C-can I go there?　I’m …….”

　The women’s lingerie store in front of him …… looks like a different world to Hiroto.

　Even though it looks like this, Hiroto has a lot of experience in combat. Whether it was one on one, many on one, or many on many, he was familiar with every situation and had almost died once or twice.

　This is an unusually large amount of actual combat experience for a person of his generation with his abilities.

　This is due to the uniqueness of the Domori family and the experience he had in the Demon World during his vacation before entering the school.

　This is why, when it comes to fighting, Hiroto is not intimidated at all.

　If his heart weavers even a little bit, he would be in a spot where he could not survive. That’s how it goes.

　Because of this experience, he was able to deal with Susan’s moves without difficulty.

　Hiroto honestly thought that Susan’s movements were phenomenal.

　Just as he had thought, she must have a much higher spiritual power than he had imagined.

　Given that she had such a high ability to communicate with others, and that she could personify them, this thought was probably correct.

　If so, he would have to hurry. Because if Susan finds out, he won’t have much time to spare, and he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to do it again. In any case, he couldn’t lose this game.

　But now, Hiroto was …… completely frightened.

　The place he was heading to now smells more dangerous than any battlefield.

　If you go there, purchase the target and return home, you will have a place to live, a future school life, and a great deal more to gain. He knew that, but he couldn’t work up the courage to do so, so he walked back and forth across the sales floor.

　And because he was glancing sideways at his target as he walked by, the shopkeeper finally gave him a suspicious look.

(Ouch!　It hurts, that gaze!)

　Also, not surprisingly, the clerk was a woman. The bar was raised even higher in him.

　He also noticed another serious problem.

(The price is higher than I thought!)

　Once there, Hiroto took refuge at the bottom of the stairs, and he checked the contents of his wallet.

　It’s not impossible to buy, but …… it’s too painful an expense for Hiroto, who thinks he needs to save a lot of money. However,……, there are priorities.

　As he took a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated his mind …… and made up his mind.

(Let’s go!)

“Domori-kun. What are you doing in this place?”

“Waaaa!?”

　Hiroto screamed and turned around.

　And there was Matsuri’s friend, the energetic Shizuka, standing there looking flinching.

“D-Don’t you dare startle me again. Why in the world would you do that?”

　He never thought he would meet someone he knew in such a strange place. Hiroto cursed himself for his lack of luck.

“Mito-san!　No, this is different!　What can I say, the place where I will live from now on, no!　It’s something I need to do to win my life, or rather, to live!”

“Eh?　What?　What are you saying?”

　Shizuka tilted her head at Hiroto’s agitation. Then, she began to focus on the sales floor just behind Hiroto. And Hiroto had a bad premonition when he saw her expression loosen up.

“HaHmmm …….”

　She then tapped her index finger and thumb on her chin and nodded as if she were a detective trying to deduce the culprit.

‘You were just about to go to that women’s lingerie store, weren’t you? Hmmm …… and the statement that you will win the rest of your life …….”

　Hiroto sensed that his bad premonition was coming closer to reality.

“No, so you’re probably wrong about that!　I can tell before I even ask, so don’t try to guess anymore!”

　Hiroto appealed with teary eyes. But, Shizuka was not listening.

“Is that so. …… I figured it out. I’ve heard that such gifts are available these days. The girl you are going to give it to is likely to be the girl you met at the qualification exam,……. No way, I didn’t know you even knew the size …….”

“No, no!　Just stop it!　Listen to what I have to say!　Don’t imagine what you want.”

　Hiroto shook his head as if clinging to her while shedding a lot of tears.

“Then who is it for?”

“It isn’t for anyone!”

“It isn’t for anyone!?　Don’t tell me it’s …… yours. You had that kind of taste,……, and I wonder what Matsuri would say if she heard this,……. It’s a complicated case of severe chuuni disease. ……”

“It certainly can’t be mine!　What on earth do you think of me?”

　At this point, Hiroto was already unaware that he was affirming the purchase of underwear.

　Shizuka smiled unpleasantly, confirming what was important first.

“Whose then?”

“I told you, it doesn’t belong to anyone!”

“Then why are you buying it?”

“Well, it’s …… so it’s a punishment game!　I lost the game and was ordered to buy women’s underwear. So I came to the lingerie department, but I didn’t know what to do. ……”

“Hmm, a punishment game. Hmm, that’s a good one …….”

Hiroto could not stop sweating when he saw Shizuka’s blatantly suspicious attitude.

　Then …… suddenly, Shizuka’s face lit up as if she had a flash of inspiration and she said, “Oh, I see!” And then she smiled with an expression that said she was convinced.

“Domori-kun…….”

“W-What?”

“Do you know the size and stuff?　You can’t just buy something random, you know, like this.”

“Huh?　No, I was thinking that anything would be fine (because it’s a punishment game).”

　In response to Hiroto’s answer, Shizuka made a gesture as if thinking, “…… this is why men.”

“Okay, I get it!”

“W-What do you mean?”

“It’s hard for you to buy something by yourself, isn’t it?　That’s why I’m going to buy it for you!”

　Like Really?　He had that kind of expression on his face. To be honest, he thought it was a very attractive proposal.

“What’s your budget?　How much are you thinking about?”

　He took out his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and tried to check the contents, but Shizuka snatched it away from him.

“Ah!”

“Okay, don’t be stingy with these things. I know exactly the size and preference.”

　With that said, Shizuka left Hiroto behind and went to the sales floor.

“Wait a minute!　That money also includes important living expenses for the future. ……”

　Hiroto tried to stop her in a hurry, but he could not follow Shizuka into the sales floor.

　He stared at Shizuka leaving in a daze. However, inwardly, he felt relieved that he could now accomplish his mission. Now all he has to do is bring it back without Susan finding it.

(……, huh?　Whose size and preference does she know?)

 He suddenly remembered Shizuka’s words, and for a change, Hiroto felt inexplicable anxiety …….

　After waiting for a while, Shizuka, who was in a good mood, came back with a paper bag with a pretty ribbon attached to it as a gift and Hiroto’s wallet.

“Thanks for waiting. Here you go!　I think I was able to choose a good one.”

　Hiroto felt deeply grateful for the help.

“Thank you!　I really appreciate it!　Oh, and Mito-san, about this ……”

“I know!　It’s a secret, isn’t it?　I won’t tell anyone.”

　Hiroto was relieved to hear that, he took the package and wallet, and immediately wanted to turn back.

“Thank you so much!　I’ll see you at school, I’ve got to go. Mito-san.”

“Yes!　See you later. I know it’s hard, but good luck!”

　Hiroto waved his hand and headed for the exit from the stairs, feeling uncomfortable with the strangely coherent conversation.

Shizuka muttered with emotion as she watched Hiroto’s backward figure.

“Next month is Matsuri’s birthday, huh. Did Domori-kun finally realize that the more forceful he is, the better she likes it?　Even so, you’re surprisingly bold, giving her a gift of underwear out of the blue. But No, it feels good after doing something good.”

　After that, Shizuka spent several hours confronting the shelf labeled [SALE] in the underwear section.

As Shizuka began to wrestle with the sale items in the lingerie department, …… Hiroto was paying maximum attention to his surroundings 360 degrees and moving at an unusual speed to make his rundown house his home.

　In the city, he was moving carefully, completely concealing his presence, but once he passed through the city, there was almost no place to hide. So there was no reason to slow down. Even so, there were still some passersby, but no one passing by could catch sight of Hiroto.

　It wasn’t that the speed was unnoticeable. He was reading the line of sight of the passers-by and moving while avoiding them. This boy was able to perform such an extraordinary feat as a matter of course.

　Hiroto was serious. No. He was already serious from the start, but now Hiroto’s spirit was different.

　He was given a pair of underwear and his wallet by Shizuka, and as soon as he was about to return to his destination, he …… suddenly became curious and checked inside his wallet.

(This sacrifice will …… never be in vain!)

　While wiping both eyes with his scrubbing arm, Hiroto was still concerned about Susan’s presence.

(Funny …… things are going too well. Is she looking somewhere else?)

　It is obvious that what Susan is after is the underwear that he is wearing. If Susan catches him, he’ll lose not only his future home but also something important as a man.

　That was the only thing he had to avoid. But for now, things are going well. And his destination was near.

　He could see a relatively new residential area ahead of him, and a large old gate in the middle of it.

　That was the destination.

“Hmm?”

　When he looked closely, he saw that there was a lot of activity outside the gate. What is it?　While thinking about it, he approached the gate and saw that it was covered with tape like a short distance run at an athletic event.

　Behind the tape, the non-humans were holding banners like, {Do your best, Susan!} or {This house is ours}, and {Hold his underwear in your hands!} and holding them high in the air. Furthermore, they had set up a tatami mat and were drinking and having a great time like parents at a children’s field day.

　For a moment, Hiroto’s knees slumped and he almost fell over.

“What the hell?　It’s too conspicuous!　What are you going to do if the neighbors find out?”

　But the goal was at sight. Putting the details behind him, Hiroto stepped up his speed.

　And just when he was about to reach the tape, ……

　Suddenly, Hiroto was hit by a huge heatwave from the sky right behind him.

“Mmm!”

　Hiroto instantly took the shortest possible step and bent over.

　Immediately after, a meteorite-like object passed by just a few centimeters above his head, radiating high heat.

　Hiroto braked to a halt and rubbed his head with his right hand.

　In front of Hiroto’s eyes, Susan, his competitor with crimson wings, appeared from the dust she had caused.

(Hmm, I see. …… I was definitely going to come back here. So there was no need to look for me at all.)

　Susan, who is clothed in red air, looked at him. She may be a little bit breathless as if she is trying to get into the spirit of things.

“Finally…….I found you”

“You were looking for me!”

　The reason for her ragged breathing seems to be that she was searching the entire city with all her might. While he was wondering about that, the goal was just beyond his sight.”

　And Susan in front of the goal is a formidable opponent. Hiroto pulled himself together.

　Behind Susan, the non-humans were cheering loudly.

“””Whoa!　Susan!　Susan!”””

　In the midst of all this, Shiro worriedly clasps her hands in front of her chest.

“……, are you okay?”

　And Kiyoko, next to Shiro, sees this and giggles.

“Which one?”

“I-it’s …… Susan, of course!”

“Fufufu. Well, I am afraid since Susan has become scary. I hope oni-san will be okay. Shiro-chan, you still haven’t thanked me for my left hand, right?”

“…… Yeah.”

　Sally was smiling, and Gen had an excited look on his face, while Gokou was watching them as though he was judging them.

　Hiroto felt that Susan had an unusual presence, which brought back the tense sensation he had when he was in the demon world.

(It’s dangerous. ……but I can’t pull it off. With no fixed address, I can’t even go to school.)

　I’ll get my high school life and housing!

　So I seriously have to get…….

“…….get there”

“……!”

　Hiroto made a sudden, no-motion attempt to break through the front door.

　Susan was momentarily surprised by the unexpected action but quickly braced herself. She instantly realized that Hiroto had come in for a one-shot deal.

　The heat of the red air that Susan was wearing suddenly increased and the area seemed to shake. And that tremendous amount of heat created a violent updraft that blew Susan’s fiery red hair up to the sky.

　But Hiroto didn’t stop.

　While not caring about Susan’s interception, he raised his speed.

　Susan couldn’t read Hiroto’s intentions and immediately put her hands out in front of her in preparation for a collision.

　At this time, Susan was feeling tremendous pressure from Hiroto in front of her.

　It was a feeling that Susan had forgotten for the past several hundred years. Then, as if an unconscious switch was flipped, …… Susan’s eyes turned red and a vortex of spiritual power was concentrated into crimson wings.

　And at the very moment when the two collided ……

　A blast of air containing a large amount of heat and great spiritual power blew forward from both of Susan’s hands at a very high density.

　This loud blast and the blast of air caused all the people outside there who had been cheering until now to involuntarily freeze completely.

“Oh, ……, uh, Susan-san?　You know, that’s a bit much, isn’t it ……?”

“…… Yeah, I think so too.”

　The conversation of the non-human cheering squad continued.

　Both Shiro and Gen had their mouths wide open and their eyes peeled.

　The view was blocked by a tremendous blast, making it impossible to see ahead. As the speechless non-humans started in front of them, their vision gradually became clearer.

　

What they saw was ……

—Part IV end–

Part V

Susan, who was standing with her hands in front of her.

And Shiro immediately turned pale.

“O-Oni-saan! Oni-san died! He’s been wiped out!!”

The rest of the non-humans who had been frozen in place gasped at the unexpected ending.

“Ahaha … I’m not dead ~”

“eH!?”

Everyone was surprised by the voice Hiroto heard from somewhere, and looked around, but could not see him.

Even Susan was surprised and turned around.

“Here it is. Oh, but I thought I would really die …”

Looking for the source of the voice, everyone turned around and……. Hiroto was lying on his back and fell down across the tape. The area had some dark places and it was spewing smoke as well.

“Oni-saaan!”

　Shiro’s eyes were moist as she shouted, and he pulled out a neatly wrapped paper bag from inside his shirt.

“Here it is, Kiyoko-san. This is the one that I selected.”

　When Kiyoko received the package, she opened it and checked the inside.

” Oh my, it’s so pretty!　Is this for me?　But I would have preferred something a little sexier. And the size might be too small for me. But if this is oni-san’s taste, I’ll …… try my best to wear it!”

“No, it’s not!”

“…… I understand. Um, …..I confirmed it.”

　Kiyoko took a deep breath, then.

“The winner is…… the oni-saaaaan!”

The declaration swallowed the situation, and the outsiders who were surprised and hardened also agonized over their heads.

Hiroto is in guts pose with his fist raised in the sky while lying down.

However, with the expression that Shiro and Sally still had disbelief for Hiroto’s victory, they just stared at this situation.

“But … how! How did your brother reach the goal !?”

I don’t know white! I will ask you like that. As Hiroto stood up and wondering how to answer, Susan slowly approached.

“…… Advanced Thought Body.”[Use of Spirit Body]

“Eh”

　It surprised even Shiro, Gen, and Kiyoko. Then, Gokou added an explanation from behind.

“The boy there was in a moment of collision with Susan, he sent his own thought body forward. It was an extremely advanced thought body that was indistinguishable from the main body. This made Susan misjudge the timing of the collision, and he spun his body from below and jumped feet first into the burning wall. With his speed and high rotation, he raced to the finish line with minimal heat damage.”

“Wow ……”

“That’s …… awesome …….”

　All the non-humans there understood how much that meant.

　When Hiroto stood up, he laughed and scratched his cheeks, a little embarrassed.

“Well,……, she needed to capture me, but all I had to do was breakthrough. It’s just a bit drastic,…….”

　Hiroto’s words caused Kiyoko to make a subtle expression.

“Oh, yes, ……. But about that,……, perhaps.”

　She looked back at Susan.

“Susan. Do you remember …… what was your victory condition?”

　Susan nodded her head.

　Then, after a while, her eyes widened, “Ah …….”

“Eh?　Ehh?　What?　That reaction, maybe ……”

“Haaah~, I knew it ……. If you had put out that much heat, oni-san would have been turned into charcoal along with the underwear. And what would you have done if I hadn’t placed a barrier around the area?　This whole area would have burned to the ground. ……”

(Are you trying to kill me ……?　Beside a burned-out area……)

　Surely, a direct hit from that blast and heat at close range would be …….

　Susan put her hand on the back of her head saying, “No!” while Hiroto was trembling and sweating.

　Kiyoko put her hand on Hiroto’s shoulder with a wry smile, unable to hide her agitation.

“Well well, at any rate, we lost. As promised,……, this house belongs to oni-san.”

“Ah, …….”

　That was it. Regardless of the process, Hiroto has won. That realization finally came.

(Yes!　That’s right!　I protected my home!　I protected the possibility of my shining youth and my life!)

　With a mystical look on his face, Hiroto clenches his fists with a big smile on his face.

“By the way, I have not heard your name”

“Ah, yes. I’m Domori Hiroto.”

“Yeah …… is a good name. Well, goodbye. Hiroto ……, take care.”

“Eh?　Are you going to …… already?”

“Yes, ……. This place is no longer our place, so ……. What?　You should look happier than that, Hiroto!”

“Ah, yes …….”

　Because Hiroto won, naturally, the non-humans will have to leave.

　As Kiyoko looked around at the people around her, they all nodded with a mysterious look on their faces. No one complained, and they quietly began to put away the banners and banquet equipment.

　It was a graceful look that conveyed that “We always keep our promises”, and it was even somewhat refreshing.

　As Hiroto stood in front of the gate, he saw the group preparing to leave …….

　And he stared at it in silence.

　Despite being so enthusiastic, they are now moving heavily and without power, each trying to go out. Some of them even asked for bows and handshakes from the standing Hiroto.

　The sight of these people made Hiroto feel as if he was parting with a comrade in arms.

　Hiroto wanted to say something to them, but he couldn’t find the words.

　Then, a few of the …… non-humans suddenly stopped to the right of him, and with a faraway look in their eyes, they said.

“There are a lot of …… memories here. It was really fun ……. It’s not our place anymore, but we’ll all …… definitely, definitely meet again someday!”

“”Ah!　U-Uuuuu!””

“C-come on, ……, don’t cry. Don’t cry ……. It won’t be the last time. It’s ……. …….”

“””Ugh!”””

　It was a scene similar to …… a graduation ceremony, where you have to say goodbye to your best friends.

“……Eh?”

　A man and a woman stopped to the left of the surprised Hiroto, and then looked at each other with moistened eyes.

“Oh, honey, what a trick of fate!　Where the hell are we supposed to meet now?”

“Oh …… darling, don’t cry. Even if …… we are apart!　No matter what tears us apart!　No matter what evildoers’ vile schemes!　My heart will always be with you.”

“Honey!!”

“Darling!!”

　It was as if they were lovers who were torn apart by an unfortunate fate, but never forgot each other!　There is a man and a woman out there crying and hugging each other like lovers.

“Eh?　eH?”

(Am I the reason for this?)

　Immediately afterward, behind Hiroto, for some reason, there was a man in a suit covering his face with both hands, kneeling and crying.

“Oh my god …… I lost my house. If only this one had worked out ……k!

　There was a non-human looking dumbfounded at the sky, looking like an unfairly restructured businessman.

“Ehhh?　EH?　Huh?”

(Is this incident referring to the game just now?)

　The most extreme was the two girls …… Shiro and Susan, who stared at him like abandoned puppies.

　They are staring at Hiroto as if praying with moist eyes from underneath him.

“Eh …… and. This is …… the same.”

(T-This is the result of legitimate competition. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I know. ……)

　But it looked just like the scene of a villainous landlord evicting a good resident.

　There, Shiro opened her mouth sadly with moist eyes.

“Big brother. I’ve met you …… oni-san before, you know.”

“Eh!?　Where?”

　Shiro did not answer the question but continued.

“You see, ……, and I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me ……”

“Thank you, onis-san, for fixing my left hand. …… I was so upset at the time that I attacked you. But thanks to you, I’m at peace now.”

　As she said that, Shiro bowed deeply.

　Hiroto didn’t quite get it when he heard those words. Left hand …… cat ears …… left leg ……?

“The left hand is …… what?　No way!　The white tiger on the construction site ……!”

　Shiro nods her head.

“It was a coincidence that we met here, but when I saw oni-san, I recognized you immediately. I knew you were the one from that time. But this place was a really important place for us to relax, so I couldn’t thank you for what you did. ……”

“……”

“But this place belongs to you now, and we have to go, so I can only say this now. …… sorry about that.”

　When Shiro said with tears in her eyes, an unbearable feeling covered Hiroto. And when he looked at the people around him who were smiling at the scene, an urge arose in his heart.

　The more it drove …… him, the stronger it became.

“I feel refreshed after thanking you properly for this!　But …… you know, I wanted to talk to you more?”

　With that said, Shiro smiled brightly, though sadly.

　This was the …… final blow for Hiroto.

“Ah, you know, if you’re really in trouble, this place is, you know, bigger than you think,…….”

　And …….

“It seems that not everyone is always here,…….”

　And …….

“So, well, as long as you don’t bother the neighbors, you can …… hanging out here……”

At the same time as he said, “……is okay”, the non-humans.

“”””””Yossha—!””””””

　They all shouted and made guts pose.

“?　……Whaaa?”

　Hiroto was upset by the way everyone changed.

　Besides, in front of his eyes, Shiro and Susan, who should have looked like puppies, are high-fiving each other.

　Hiroto was stunned and ……was shocked.

(They got me!)[TN: YES THEY GOT YOU! YOU FOOOOOL OF A MC! GRRRRRRRRRR]

　By the time he thought that……, it was already too late.

　The non-humans were Heave-ho!　Heave-ho!　They shouted and carried Hiroto up.

“Whoa!　Wait a minute!　I should have thought this through more …… wow, wow!　You guys are so dirty!　You were planning to do that even if you lost from the beginning. …… You tricked me. —-!”

　They took Hiroto by force into the house.

　The non-humans who have returned to the house that has become Hiroto’s home once again begin to aggressively prepare a banquet with Hiroto who does not want to participate.

　The house was still in shambles, but the non-humans didn’t care about that.

　They force the teary-eyed Hiroto to sit in the upper seat, and one by one, they recommend to him the famous spirit sake made him drink.

“Uup!　I’m underage, so stop it!　And don’t make too much noise!”

　Ignoring his voice, or rather not listening to him, the tension of the non-humans was at its highest.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s not really alcohol, it won’t harm you. …… Maybe.”

“What do you mean, “maybe”?　Maybe what!”

　In the middle of the room, Gen was having a great time, making the others laugh with his funny movements.

“From now on, you’re our boss!　Everyone, let’s make a lot of noise for the new boss!”

“No!　No! No more noise!　You’re disturbing the neighbors!　And stop it with this, Boss(Oyabun)!”

　Gen jumped up and down and guzzled the bottle.

　As Gen said, Hiroto, who had now become their boss, was now surrounded by a group of women.

　From the front, Kiyoko was approaching her in a very seductive way.

“Hey, Hey Kiyoko-san, you’re a bit too close!　Oi, you reek of alcohol!”

“Hiroto, I don’t want to go home today~.”

“This is your home!　I mean, if you have a place to go, then go home!”

　Sally hugged him tightly from behind and wouldn’t let go. Her face also looked drunk, and he is not sure if it’s because of the alcohol.

(Sally-san, they are hitting!　They really are hitting!　But ……, this might be good.)

“I’m a Shinigami, but I’ll work hard for you from now on.”

“Get away from me!　Also, don’t try so hard!”

　Shiro, who spoke adorably and often, was beside him, clinging to his right arm in joy, while Susan, who had no expression on her face, was on his left, picking up the sake’s appetizer with her chopsticks and trying to put it in Hiroto’s mouth.

“Shiro-san?　Don’t stick to me so tightly. And Susan-san?　I can eat on my own. ……”

“Keep eating!　Hiroto. Ahh?　Is it Master now?”[She’s saying goshujin-sama]

“……. Master. Don’t hesitate to …… get fatter and fatter ……!”[And she’s saying Masuta]

“Eat to your heart’s content!　I’ll have it in the end!”

　Although the content is not the same, from the outside, he has the appearance of an amorous fool.

　It’s not that he wanted to, of course,…….

　Then, the long-haired beautiful young man kneeled down in front of Hiroto whose face was reddened with spiritual wine and hung his head.

“Master. My name is Gokou. I will never forget this debt of gratitude ……. To repay you, I will respond with my wholehearted loyalty. And ……”[He addresses Hiroto by Oyakata-sama]

　The very handsome man continued his speech with an ever-impressed look on his face as if he were a samurai who had finally met the lord he sought.

“Ahhhh …… this guy looks like trouble too~”

　The non-human who first looked like a dog said, “Uga!　Uga!” while wagging his tail. And Shiro was listening to it.

“Eh?　Do you want Ugaron to live with you?　Yes!　The more lively, the better!”

“No!　I like peace!　I love silence!　I love solitude!”

　Around them, many non-humans were drinking, singing, dancing, and having a great time.

“Well, congratulations, congratulations. At last, this house has been blessed with a good master.”

　As Hiroto watched the party, his consciousness faded with drunkenness. ……

“Do….whatever you want …….”

　And he collapsed.

　In this way, Hiroto’s plan to have a new house and at the same time, he …… made nearly thirty non-human friends?　was over.

　However, at this time, Hiroto did not know.

　From this moment, Hiroto possesses a powerful force that is not inferior to that of the world’s top-class family of ability users.