The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village Volume 1 Chapter 4

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It was all over.

It was utterly and fundamentally over. There was not even the slightest hope. After all, there had never before been the slightest hint that someone like her would die!!

"U-uhh…"

The urge to vomit rose up within me. The extreme red coloration made me feel dizzy.

Even so, I could not tear my eyes away from what lay before me. They were rooted to the spot. I pointlessly tried to not make the connection between the thick smell of rusted iron and the fact that I was in the same area as a corpse.

It was in front of me.

A neck that was twisted like an old rag. A female body missing a head. I recognized that person who even now had fresh blood gus.h.i.+ng out of her. The corpse had its face crushed and was overall melted, so it was possible it was not actually her. However, that theory did not hold here. I simply recognized too many things about her.

I recognized the beautifully manicured fingers.

I recognized the smooth line of her back.

It matched the memories in my mind so perfectly I shuddered. I could not help but shudder. She was collapsed there limply…no, her entire body was twitching as the blood flowed out like a frog leg with electrodes attached.

I managed to squeeze a voice out of the depths of my dry throat.

"His.h.i.+gami…Mai-san…?"

I may have called her name because I was hoping for a response.

Even though she had no mouth. Even though she had no head.

My legs almost collapsed underneath me, but then I realized the redness gus.h.i.+ng out was flowing toward me. When I thought it would touch me and sully me, strength reentered my legs. And then I realized something else. I felt it would sully me because it was coming from a corpse. I no longer even thought of it as being His.h.i.+gami Mai.

And with that realization, the fear that had been numbed over by the shock came flooding in all at once.

"Ah...ah...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

I would be killed.

I would be killed if I stayed there. This was a situation where a human on her level had been easily decapitated. A normal high school student like me did not stand a chance!!

I swung my arms around and ran away.

I had no idea what I was screaming. It didn't matter what. I needed to get out. I needed to get out of the building. I ran through a long pa.s.sageway.

But I stopped partway through.

My legs refused to move any further.

A single door lay before me. It was half open and a pure red color was splattered on the other side.

Dammit! What the h.e.l.l!? Dammit!! That's my uncle! He's supposed to be a policeman! The symbol of this country's power! Why…Why is his neck caught in a broken window frame and his legs severed!?

He was my relative, so I did not know whether I should run over crying even though he was so horribly damaged. But the fear held me back. I could not approach. There was something wrong about the situation. He had not died due to blood loss from his legs. He had suffocated with his neck caught in the window frame. It was clear someone had wanted him to slowly suffer as he died by setting a trap he could have escaped had he been able to use his legs at all.

That mystery-loving girl had been thrown on top of a gas burner in the kitchen and Madoka was swaying back and forth as she hung like a chandelier from the ceiling by a giant fis.h.i.+ng hook meant for catching Pacific bluefin tuna. There was simply no hope. It did not matter who had done it. I could not imagine how this could all be summarized into an individual pursuing us. It simply seemed to me that the entire hotel was enveloped by some invisible power like some ma.s.sive malice or grudge.

I was going to die.

I was definitely going to die.

I could not stop my erratic breathing. I could not put together a plan. I was next. In fact, I was the only one left. So who had done this? Was there any way I could escape? In fact…

In fact…

How?

How had it ended up like this?

As I was eating a popsicle on the porch of our j.a.panese house with a thatch roof that was only any use in the winter, my overall small granny called out to me.

"s.h.i.+n.o.bu. s.h.i.+n.o.bu."

"What is it, granny."

"It's a stray cat. I do not mind if it rests here, but I do not want it to start using our yard as its litter box. I tried to chase it away, but it didn't do any good. s.h.i.+n.o.bu, could you do something about it?"

"…Granny. That isn't a cat. It's a Nekomata. It has two tails. Those things can be deadly, so be careful."

Cat Youkai were not all that disliked as they were said to take vengeance for their masters, but those were romanticized tales. They had the power to kill people, so you really did have to be careful.

I put on my flip-flops and headed out to the large yard. I then cautiously approached the Nekomata that was curled up below a tree covered in rhinoceros beetles.

"Nekomata, what are you doing here?"

"Can't you tell? Doing my best to put up with this midsummer heat. I suppose you humans wouldn't understand with your year-round air conditioning."

"You can cool down inside if you want, but please don't use our yard as a litter box."

"A lady like me would never do something like that. Anyway, that sounds nice. I was starting to feel a bit irritable, so a nice cold bath would be great. Once my mood has been refreshed, I will no longer have to worry about harming anyone."

"You like baths? But you're a cat."

"I am a Nekomata."

And so I headed for the bath with the Nekomata in my arms.

"This is quite the high-tech bath for such a rundown house."

"My grandfather insisted we get it redone while we can because he says the house could be designated cultural property at any time. That's why the kitchen, bathrooms, bath, heating, and cooling are all more advanced than everything else."

I turned the faucet and cold water started filling the wash basin, but the Nekomata began to complain.

"It will be too cold with just that. Add in some hot water."

"You sure are picky."

"That's too much hot water. It can't be lukewarm. I want this to be refres.h.i.+ng."

"Fine, fine," I replied and stuck the Nekomata in the wash basin.

Despite all her complaints, she seemed to enjoy it. I could hear a lot of purring.

Suddenly, I noticed a flat-chested Yuki Onna peering in through the gap next to the sliding door to the bath. My dad had allowed her to live with us as long as she stayed away from anything related to brewing as the temperature for that had to be precisely controlled. (Incidentally, my mother just generally loved Youkai.)

"…No fair…"

"What isn't fair?"

"That Youkai suddenly appears and you are already taking a bath with her? And yet I have not received an opportunity like that after all this work I put into solidifying a foundation…"

"Oh, you're jealous. Not only is that unsightly, but you are way off the mark there," commented the Nekomata.

"What!? Wait, does this even count? I mean, she's a cat!!" I said.

"I am a Nekomata. I am as much a deadly Youkai as she is."

Even if you're in the same category, there's still a huge difference!! And why is Yuki Onna-chan reaching for the obi to her kimono!? You're clearly choosing the wrong person to compete with here!! Are you planning to stick your a.s.s in the wash basin!?

And then came the glamorous Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+. She must have caught scent of my misfortune. The huge grin on her face made it obvious at a glance what she was after. It was a little unclear what this had to do with her being a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+, but I was past caring.

"Hey, Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+! Hold that Yuki Onna back!"

"No fair, no fair☆"

"Why the h.e.l.l are you reaching for your yukata's obi!? Don't strip nude just for a joke! It isn't funny when you have a body as nice as that!!"

The countryside could be annoying with all the Youkai, but big cities were hardly perfect. They were so crowded and filled with unhealthy exhaust and chemicals despite the area being thoroughly altered for humans to live in. I could only imagine the people there enjoyed shaving away their own lifespan.

I entered a chain café and a police detective with a glum look on his face waved me over to a seat in the back. What he was doing counted as work, so I could only be jealous of how easy public servants had it.

Even so, he did seem a bit stiff in his movements due to the wounds from repeated shots from a hunting rifle.

But by "our" standards, that didn't even count as being injured. Also, he received medical care paid for with the people's tax money, so I still say they have it pretty easy.

"What are you drinking?"

"What does it matter? By the way…what's with that outfit? A tank top and hot pants? Did you forget how old you are? You look like a complete idiot. You look like a university student that carelessly got in with a specialized entrance exam and then couldn't keep up with the cla.s.ses."

"If a real idiot wore this, there would be no helping them, but it works as a handy bit of camouflage for those who aren't idiots."

"I see. So what did you want to talk about? Let's get this over with quickly."

"Oh, c'mon. At least let me complain about my troubles to you. I've had some pain-in-the-a.s.s people set their sights on me lately which isn't any fun. Oh, I know. Could you maybe help smooth things out with them?"

"With you, it's bound to be your own d.a.m.n fault. I hate that I can't arrest someone like you. There are just too many holes in the police organization. So who has their sights on you? The PSIA?"

"MI6. The CIA. Oh, and the European Security Force."

"That's clearly well beyond what the j.a.panese police can deal with!! What the h.e.l.l did you do!? No, wait…no!!"

"You wanna know? You do, don't you? Well, I heard a system for making use of Succubi had been established in Europe, so I decided to go take a peek. The system was so poorly made it looked like an idiot had designed it. In fact, the officials who had contacted the Succubus were the ones being contr-…"

"Stop!! Please stop! I don't want to end up being some poor victim after hearing something I shouldn't have!!"

Oh, c'mon.

And I was just getting to the good part.

"Why do you two sisters always destroy the boundaries of common sense…?"

"Oh? I'll admit I may do that, but I thought my little sister was a bit more normal."

"What is normal about a minor that shows up at the crime scene of every mysterious murder? I've had a flood of complaints from the Lifestyle Safety Division. They keep telling me not to let a child see those things and to solve the cases on my own. …I don't know how word of it reached them, but I've even received complaints from the riot police."

"Why don't you just go ahead and marry her?"

"Are you completely unfamiliar with the concept of context!? And do you have any idea what j.a.panese law is!?"

"Oh, right. About that sister of mine."

"Again, context please…"

"She says to take a week of paid vacation starting today."

"Why!? I don't have any idea what you're talking about!"

Well, that one wasn't too surprising. My sister knew that was asking too much of him. That was why she had used me as an intermediary for the message.

"I have some tickets here. One for me, one for you, and one for my sister. That's three in total. These tickets give us free lodging at a hotel in Fuuka Village, an Intellectual Village. You are headed there right away. Understand?"

"…I'll keep this short. What happens if I just ignore you?"

"I will render you unconscious with this wet towel and stuff you in my travel bag. But then you won't be able to call in to take a paid vacation, so you might lose your job."

After dealing with the trouble in the bath, I retreated back to my room.

The air conditioner was running full blast within the room and for some reason the futon was spread out with the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ lying in it.

"…What are you doing?"

"Don't you think it's unfair?" The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ looked at me with a completely composed expression. "You caught a cold the other day, s.h.i.+n.o.bu. And who was it that nursed you back to health? For the most part, me. It's not fair. It's not fair at all. Don't you think it's unfair if you do not treat me kindly after I treated you so kindly?"

"…But you seemed happy enough wringing out the wet towel. I thought I might as well take you up on your offer."

"You're always so disagreeable, but you get so obedient when you're sick. It's like you revert to being a small child when you feel weak. I kind of like it. I'm starting to wish you had a cold year round. Heh heh… Heh heh heh heh heh."

Don't tell me this Youkai that is supposed to bring fortune to my household is always lazing around in an attempt to weaken me.

"But this is a completely different issue. To make things fair, you need to pay me back for my kindness. I want you to nurse me back to health too."

"…You just thought the porridge you fed me looked good, didn't you? And Youkai are d.a.m.n hard to kill, so I doubt you can even catch a cold."

"Oh, I didn't overlook that. If you will recall, I took off my clothes and took a cold bath just a bit ago."

"Eh!? You mean that was meant to be foreshadowing!?"

I decided it was best to play along, so I went to get a towel and a wash bath filled with water.

From inside the futon, the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ said, "I want to eat some vanilla ice cream."

"You seem healthy enough to me."

"Blow on it for me."

"That's not how that works. That's for hot foods."

The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ stubbornly refused to sit up, so I had to lift up and support her upper body while I carried the spoonful of dairy product to her mouth.

I had already finished my summer homework and had nothing else to do, so I didn't really care. I just hoped the Yuki Onna wasn't watching me with an odd look in her eyes again.

For some reason, the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ turned the TV to an educational program.

She then said, "I think I'll grow sick of this after half an hour."

"I thought you might."

"But since you seem to want to nurse me back to health so much, I'll stick with it for the rest of the day."

"And that's not how being tsundere works."

Then my beaten-up old cell phone with a broken camera lens started to ring.

The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ looked a bit annoyed, but I had to give the phone priority.

It was from Madoka-san, my strange beauty of a cla.s.smate who lived in the Sanatorium.

"s.h.i.+n.o.bu-kun, let's head to a hotel."

"What is it, Madoka? Have your morals completely crumbled?"

"Ah ha ha ha ha. Sorry, but a whole group is going. I have an extra ticket, so I was wondering if you wanted to come along."

…No, I think this is a pretty big deal even so. Are you sure they haven't crumbled? Well, maybe she's just taking the idea of the "student summer break" too lightly.

And on a different note, when did Madoka and I get so close???

"Where is this hotel? The beach? The mountains?"

"Somewhere far away."

"Good enough for me. I'll go convince my parents, so tell me where to meet you and when."

I jotted down the necessary information and hung up. Convincing my parents…well, I doubted it would be easy, but I had to try. After all, this was a student summer break. I could feel unnecessary power welling up within me.

And then I noticed the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ looking up at me from the futon like she wanted to say something.

"No fair."

"What?"

"s.h.i.+n.o.bu, you still have a lot to learn about fairness. And so I want to go too."

"I think she said she only had one extra ticket. And with a bourgeois like Madoka, I'm betting adding on an additional ticket would be ridiculously expensive."

"Are you forgetting that Youkai are traditionally treated a lot like humans but there is no legal basis for that treatment?"

"I don't follow."

"I can stay there for free if you insist that I am your pet."

…Doesn't…the idea of being treated like that…make you sad?

I felt an intense urge to comment on that, but that Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ was probably just bored. The lead-in to the cold bath and nursing her back to health had been pretty forced. She obviously just wanted something exciting to happen.

But they said bad things would happen if a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ abandoned your house. I decided it would be best to have her let off some steam before she truly got sick of our house and went off on some journey.

I am the kind of person that does not believe in any of those ideas that says the fate of the entire planet has already been decided by Nostradamus, the Mayans, the Aztecs, or any other prophecies.

However, I do believe in small, fleeting bits of luck. In fact, anyone who has not felt something like that by their teenage years has already lost in some way. They will likely never make anything of themselves.

This is Madoka-san telling you this and I have around 30 billion j.a.panese yen, so you can trust me.

But even so, those small, fleeting bits of luck are usually something you cannot affect under your own power. Teenagers have a tendency to believe that the outcome of any sort of compet.i.tion they are in is dependent on their own talent, effort, ideas, or some brilliant move of theirs, but they are wrong about that. Humans are complexly interrelated with others simply by being alive. And I am not trying to be rea.s.suring when I say that. More often than not, that interrelation is a negative thing.

Learning to understand how others feel is not just some nice thing to do; it is the one and only secret technique to acquiring certain victory. There's some famous quote about knowing your enemies and knowing yourself, but that is not quite accurate. What you need to know is the general flow of opinions and ideas whether they belong to your enemies, your allies, or even complete strangers.

Complete strangers will often affect the outcome without you even knowing it.

And so…

I am surrounded almost entirely by people that trip others up, people that grow envious of others, and people that rampage around based on nonsensical resentment or imagined victimhood. That is why I end up treating the rare innocent and good people like they are exceptionally precious.

"…Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh heh heh. You mustn't underestimate a problem child, cla.s.s president. To you, I may just be one address among your triple digit total of addresses, but to me, you are a highly valued comrade among my single digit total of addresses. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh."

"Madoka, you're turning into the kind of pervert that only geniuses are allowed to be, so be careful."

Whoops.

I was frightening Enbi who I had been speaking to over the phone.

Even after moving from the city, she had remained one of those few "innocent and good" people.

"So this trip is to an Intellectual Village called Fuuka Village?" I asked.

"Right, right. It's centered around dairy farming, so it should be a wide open area. And it's full of events that let you come into contact with animals."

"I hear the cows and horses have their health more strictly managed than someone in a fitness club's weight control program."

But putting aside that idyllic vision (the residents of Intellectual Villages had digital values for things like "tranquility"), I was a bit worried since that mystery freak was so intent on going. Unfortunately, I knew that anything she was interested in had to do with human death.

Even so, she was still "innocent and good", so it did not go so far as needing to actively avoid her.

"Enbi, there is one thing I need to know before we go. There are no well-known legends that have been told about Fuuka Village since the Edo period, are there?"

"Did you manage to find someone for that extra ticket?"

"There aren't mysterious serial murders at set intervals, are there? The inn isn't owned by a beautiful widow, is it? Office ladies don't have a habit of heading to the hot springs in groups, do they?"

"And here I was worried that you wouldn't be able to find any friends that are 'more than friends' after transferring away, Madoka."

The day of the trip finally came.

One of the numerous downsides of an Intellectual Village was the relative lack of public transportation connecting to the outside world. This meant everyone heading out on a trip would naturally end up at the same station at the same time.

If I called it a train that never saw rush hour, people might imagine a vehicle of the bourgeoisie, but it was actually just a local line. Even if you counted the up and down tracks separately, the train only made 5 trips each day. …It seemed completely insane and I saw no way they could make a profit off of it.

By the time I arrived, the healthy and well-behaved Madoka-chan was wearing a white dress and an elegant hat. She was looking 150% as ephemeral as ever and sitting on a bench in the empty station (the station was not operated by robots or anything). When she spotted me and the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ next to me, her eyes opened wide.

"I see someone with large b.r.e.a.s.t.s that I did not invite.'

"She's my pet. She can wear a collar with a bell on it if it means she stays for free."

"…s.h.i.+n.o.bu-kun. When did you get such full-fledged perverted tastes?"

"Don't look at me. She's the pervert that suggested it."

Hmm. Come to think of it, I might be willing to wear a collar if it would save me a few hundred thousand yen.

"And let me be clear. I worked hard to keep the destruction of common sense contained to this level. All last night, I had to put up with a Yuki Onna and Nekomata shouting about how unfair this is."

I had finally won out by saying it would be hard to bring deadly Youkai belonging to our house out of the Intellectual Village. The issue was a bit different for stray (?) ones as they could come and go as they please, but it had still worked. I had a sinking feeling that meant that Nekomata was planning to stay.

Meanwhile, Madoka gave me a puzzled look from the bench.

"(Hmm. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ coming, but adding an unexpected irregular character to the cast list is bringing us closer to the kind of situation Enbi likes so much. I hope this trip works out okay.)"

"Hey, Madoka. The train's about to arrive. If we miss this, we'll have to wait until nightfall."

"You're right. Worrying about it isn't going to help. (Even if the kind of serial murders that Enbi likes do happen, it doesn't matter as long as we don't get wrapped up in them.)"

Madoka seemed to convince herself of something and then headed over to the ticket machine. The station supported the use of IC cards, but neither of us had one. We just bought everything we wanted over the internet, so we did not feel the need to leave the village very often.

I walked past a sign saying "Make sure not to bring in any outside pollen or germs!" and approached a different ticket machine.

The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ gave a puzzled look while standing next to me.

"I see a kid's ticket, but I can't find the pet ticket."

"…If you keep this joke going, you might end up stuffed inside an airplane's cargo hold."

Honestly, it isn't normal for a mere police officer to take an entire week off at once. And since I was spending the time on a trip with a girl who always showed up at the scenes of mysterious murders and a woman who could single-handedly resolve cases the police could not handle, I felt like even the bare minimum of professional ethics was crumbling around me.

"We've arrived, we've arrived. So this is the Intellectual Village known as Fuuka Village. It's in a large plain just as I expected," said the mystery freak as she threw her arms up into the air after shoving her travel bag into my arms.

When we left the small regional airport, we found a sight rare in j.a.pan. A vast expanse of green stretched to the horizon, robbing us of any sense of distance. And not a single plant we could see was natural. It was all part of a pasture.

The mystery freak's older sister shoved her bag into my arms as well and said, "I heard half of the dairy commercials you see are filmed here. It must be specifically designed to be picturesque."

The regional airport was located right smack in the middle of the large plain, but we were not yet inside the Intellectual Village. We still had to head 20 to 30 kilometers down a road with no traffic lights before we would arrive at the hotel.

Fuuka Village was focused primarily on dairy production, so it was well-equipped in noise-reduction methods.

The area was quite cool for being in the middle of summer, but Enbi was only wearing a two-piece swimsuit, a miniskirt, and a hoodie. Basically, she looked like she belonged on the beach or in a club. Her sister was wearing a tank top and hot pants, so I started to wonder if it was something that ran in the family. But then…

"…No, she has her own issues that can't be explained by her sister's influence," I commented.

"Were you just thinking something very rude about us?"

"Were you just thinking something very rude about us?"

With the two sisters both glaring at me, I averted my gaze as I started sweating a cold sweat.

Enbi pointed up into the sky and said, "I can see a lot of what look like ad balloons."

"I bet those are cameras. They probably monitor the pasture and the moisture levels. This is a large area. Those UAVs that look like toy planes could do the same job, but they're expensive, susceptible to strong gusts of wind, and their batteries don't last long, so they aren't perfect for everything."

"The balloons are cheap, but they can't make tight turns. The balloons might perform a general observation and a UAV is sent out if anything out of the ordinary is detected."

But that was not what I was interested in.

"Can you finally explain this to me?"

"Explain what?"

"Why you forced me to use my vacation time to come out here. Dealing with just one of you sisters is bad enough, but nothing good can come of having the two of you together. What are you hiding from me?"

"Well, I tried out the neighborhood a.s.sociation lottery and…"

"Mystery freak, with you, that kind of beginning scares me all the more. Really, any kind of trip that has some kind of unnatural beginning scares me with you. What are you after?"

"Can you teach 3 or 4 kids to be proper members of society by the end of the day?"

"Not even a priest could manage that."

Five hours. Five whole hours.

Even though we took a plane as a shortcut, that's still way too long for a trip. I only just barely managed to survive thanks to the novelty of being on a plane for the first time, but it was well beyond the limit of what a mere student could withstand.

It was the afternoon by the time we arrived at the hotel.

Its overall coloration was red. That may have been because it was made primarily out of brick. The building was only about 3 stories tall. Its silhouette formed an upside down T-shape. A cylindrical building stood in the center and rectangular buildings stretched out from either side. The rectangular portions…that is, the parts that looked like school buildings were probably where our rooms were located.

"I guess there are a lot of different kinds of Intellectual Villages," said my "pet" Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ as she looked up at the building.

It certainly was quite different from our thatch roofed house. Intellectual Villages did not try to accurately and faithfully reproduce the scenery from some specific year in history. Instead, they took the vague ideas people had of what a rural town was and dragged those imagined ideas out into reality. For that reason, the time period represented could be very different depending on the region.

"Beef and cow's milk only really took off during the Meiji period, so they may be going for that format."

Even so, I doubted what I saw was a faithful recreation of the Meiji period. As I already said, they focused on matching the vague ideas people had about rural areas.

Simply put, that had a way of making a stronger brand image.

As we gave our impressions of the building, Madoka spoke up.

"Let's get inside."

"Oh, right."

"I'm interested whether she pa.s.ses as a pet or not."

"Personally, I would say 'worried' rather than 'interested'."

After all, what were we supposed to do if it didn't work? The hotel was surrounded by nothing but pastures as far as the eye could see. The only other constructions were gas stations and pay phones. The pastures surrounding the hotel were owned by four different farms and being able to pet the animals was one of the area's draws. However, I had heard that the actual dairy facilities were 20 to 30 kilometers away. The farm workers were only around during the day, so the area would be completely abandoned save the hotel once night fell.

As a dairy Intellectual Village, it had to have thoroughbred bloodline development inst.i.tutions and refrigerated facilities to preserve the genetic information of the brand-name meat as a countermeasure for infectious disease outbreaks. However, it seemed all of those facilities were located on the outer perimeter of the pastures along with the solar power plant.

"…Well, if that happens, sleeping outside will be the only option," I commented.

"Can you really last an entire week outside, s.h.i.+n.o.bu?"

"Wait a second!! When did you swipe that ticket from me!?"

With a slight smile, the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ gave off a silent pressure that told me to do my very best if I wanted to stay in the hotel.

Please, do your job and bring fortune to your household, you d.a.m.n Youkai!!

The entrance to the hotel was in the cylindrical portion of the upside down T-shape. The exterior was primarily made of red brick, but the interior was mostly white. The walls and ceiling were both white. The floor was covered with a vividly colored carpet.

The counter was located in the back of the relatively small lobby. The wall behind the counter had a simple diagram of the hotel's first floor on it. A worker in black slacks, a b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt, and a vest stood behind the counter. This was the first checkpoint for me. The trip couldn't even begin without succeeding here, so I needed to use all of my power and I kind of wanted some extra support from Madoka-san and her wealth.

However…

"Hey, it's Madoka. Did you just arrive?"

"Oh, so you did get here ahead of us, Enbi."

Geh!? She's already heading away!? And who the h.e.l.l is that girl who looks like she only just started wearing a bra!?

"Hm? Is that thing over there in the lounge a Sunekosuri?"

"Don't you run away, too!! We may be in the same boat here, but I was dragged into this! This is primarily about you!!"

s.h.i.+n.o.bu was waving his arms around while trying to make some kind of deal with the worker at the lobby counter. He had become quite eccentric since I had last seen him. It really did seem the entire trip was falling apart in some way, but that was not the main issue.

Why?

Why is she here?

Why is that horrible Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ here!?

"Hehh. You don't often see a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ just wandering around. And even adults can see her. Will my fortune with money increase if she approaches me?"

Mai sounded carefree enough about it, but I knew this Youkai was not that nice.

A Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ was supposed to bring fortune to a household while also playing childish pranks, but from what I knew of that one, she excelled at the prank side of things. I am not exaggerating when I say about half of my teenage years were completely ruined by her.

I had no idea how she had ended up here, but I knew I had to work to hide my presence as much as possible for the duration of the trip.

"Detective, that Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ is waving at you."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!"

I let out a scream that would make you go paler than a snuff video.

Th-that grin. She's definitely planning something unthinkable again!! I still haven't forgotten how you ended my first love by cutting away my swimsuit with scissors!!

Mai looked thoroughly irritated as she said, "You really do have talent when it comes to making Youkai hate you. The Sunekosuri hasn't approached you once this whole time. I wonder if that complete negative reaction could be used in some way."

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

"It seems that boy who came with the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ has a different but equally interesting nature, but I suppose it doesn't matter. I just want to go love on that Sunekosuri!!"

"Wait! Don't leave me alone!!"

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

Ahh! The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ is headed this way out of boredom because s.h.i.+n.o.bu is focused on convincing that worker!! At this rate, she'll fill the time by destroying everything I need to live a normal life in society!!

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

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

It belonged to one of the hotel's workers.

"I will carry that to your room for you if you like."

"Th-thanks…um…Matsukai-san?"

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

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

The hotel itself was fairly small, so naturally the room was not that large. Then again, it was a single.

But it was a Western style room, and that got me excited. It wasn't that I had any real complaints with that thatch-roofed house, but it did lack some things.

The Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ approached the window and let out a strange voice that seemed a mixture of admiration and annoyance.

"There really isn't anything as far as the eye can see. The only activity is seeing the animals. Once you get tired of that, you're out of luck, aren't you?"

"I'd say the bigger problem at the moment is why you're in here with me when it's a single."

"I'm being treated as a pet. Of course they aren't going to give me my own room."

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

It was possible her being a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ worked to her advantage. Not that she would bring fortune to the hotel or anything.

Now then.

I had managed to feign calmness up to that point, but it was about time for me to do something about my pounding heart. And it really was pounding!! When I accepted the invitation, I had a.s.sumed I was on a stable course straight down the Madoka route, but now that was all thrown into chaos by the sudden inclusion of the Indoor Youkai option. And really, no matter if anything actually happened or not, it would pretty much be a scandal for any public figure from the moment we entered the room together. The tabloids would be all over it!!

At that moment, the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+'s nose twitched slightly.

"…I sense inappropriate thoughts."

"Don't be silly!! You're just being too self-conscious, you good-for-nothing Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+! If this was made into a book, it would be designated for all ages!!"

"s.h.i.+n.o.bu."

"It means nothing to me if this room is a single and therefore has just the one bed and I'm alone in it with you and your ma.s.sive t.i.ts, the gentle curve of your back, and the soft curves of your hips!!"

"The device I am about to attach to your fingertip is a polygraph sensor that sends an electric shock depending on your answer, so answer 'true' to every true-or-false question I ask you."

"Ha ha ha. Like you actually have such a convenient-…wait, you do!? Why!? Wah! Wait, wait! I'll confess, I'll confess!! Teenage boys are thinking inappropriate thoughts about 80% of the time!! And doesn't bringing pointless things like that just make your bag heavier!?"

"Do not underestimate modern online teaching materials and sites selling modern security goods. At any rate, Question 1: Your secret savings are hidden below a false bottom in your school bag."

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

"With your fragile mental defenses, I get the feeling your mind would collapse if I got straight to the point."

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

"Question 2: If possible, you want to have your way with both me and Madoka and your virgin mindset gives you the groundless confidence to imagine we would both come on to you."

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

"Why do you look so shocked? D-do I seem that much like a virgin to you?"

"Y-you aren't lying, are you?"

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

"Qu-question 3: It was with Madoka."

"No. She may have a cute face, but she's too much of a bourgeois for me to find an opening. That's why I thought this trip was such a great opportunity."

"Question 4: Yuki Onna?"

"I'd be frozen to death the next morning, if I did that."

"Neko-…"

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

s.h.i.+n.o.bu started sobbing while lying in the bed, so I had no choice but to leave the room to find something else to do. I had to wonder whether he had actually believed me about the stun gun polygraph. I don't dislike high-tech gadgets, but that doesn't mean I have any idea how to put one together. I can't stand the smell of a soldering iron.

"Mutter mutter… But if s.h.i.+n.o.bu actually believed that, was he telling the truth when he said that…? Hmm…"

I couldn't believe it.

I simply couldn't believe it.

I didn't particularly care about s.h.i.+n.o.bu, but I was a bit worried at how low my accuracy had fallen if I had missed something that major about my household as a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+.

Then again, I had no proof that s.h.i.+n.o.bu was telling the truth. It was possible s.h.i.+n.o.bu had seen through my stun gun polygraph bluff and was having his own fun at my expense. I had no real proof one way or the other. It would be foolish to simply take s.h.i.+n.o.bu's word for it.

s.h.i.+n.o.bu could be a bit of a show off.

I had no idea if a male version of pseudocyesis existed, but s.h.i.+n.o.bu certainly had the delusional power to pull it off.

"I need some time to cool down."

When I wanted to have some fun, I would go have some fun.

I wasn't going to find anyone in the hotel hallway, so I headed for the first floor lobby and the adjacent lounge where I was likely to find someone. I was technically considered a pet, so I really shouldn't have been wandering around on my own. However, s.h.i.+n.o.bu was considered my owner, so he would be the one to get in trouble, not me. Having someone else to take the blame for your actions was a great way to put your mind at ease. In that way, my position as a pet was quite a nice one.

"You are a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+, aren't you?"

"And you are a Sunekosuri."

"It must be nice. Not only are you beautiful overall, but you are one of the major Youkai. One of you is almost guaranteed to show up in any Youkai manga or Youkai movie."

"Yes, but I do kind of wish I had an animal form. When filming a commercial, they always want a cute kitten or puppy."

"But there is too much inflation in animal Youkai. A deadly one like the Nekomata can act as a mascot while still joining in the battles. And if they want a canine Youkai, they always choose the Inugami. There's nothing left for a Sunekosuri."

I was not so sure.

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

"There is nothing I can do to defeat a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ when it comes to impact. You're both harmless and look like girls, so there is no more anyone could ask from you. And since you primarily bring fortune you fill the protagonist-side support role perfectly."

"Nothing says a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ has to be female and we are hardly innocent since we will predict fires. I wonder why the image of the girl Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ is so strong."

"Being cute with a bit of venom hidden below the surface is perfect for entertainment. I am a Sunekosuri. All I do is rub up against s.h.i.+ns. There is no room for drama there."

"Didn't the Sunekosuri come about from the fear of something being at your feet while walking along a path at night? Y'know, something like a poisonous snake. I would say that's a much more standard origin than something like me."

"Then I wish I at least had poison as an additional skill. I just rub up against people. The only way that can cause fear is by creeping people out when they think some strange fetis.h.i.+st is following them around."

"Yet you're still coming up and rubbing against my leg."

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

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

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

"I gave up when the sheep mistook me for a sheepdog and ran away from me. What do you want to do?"

"I would rather eat some beef than see the living cows. Oh, some lamb would be nice too."

"You can only get away with comments like that because you are a Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+. I'm jealous. With the way I look, people just a.s.sume I am a carnivore that wants to eat its prey."

I continued to speak with the other Youkai for a while.

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

I was afraid it would be nothing but this until dinner.

I could only hope that s.h.i.+n.o.bu made a quick recovery.

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

I may spend the entire year solving mysteries, but it wasn't like I could not enjoy anything without a serious atmosphere. Like with everything, you needed a nice balance.

"This is my chance."

I tossed my bag on the hotel room bed and headed right back out into the hallway. I then realized I had left my smartphone in the room, so I headed back into the room. When I returned to the hallway, I realized I had locked my cardkey in the room.

I used the interphone in the hallway to make my embarra.s.sing confession to the front desk. The worker at the front desk headed up to retrieve my key.

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

My grades on school exams were not all that great and I was always getting fl.u.s.tered and confused as to what to do to make that detective fall for me. If a history question was needed to disarm a bomb, I could answer it immediately. If I had to seduce a man to gain a clue, I could eloquently pull it off as many times as necessary. But once the mode switched over, I was hopeless.

I know it is a problem, but I do not think it is all that rare a thing.

For example, someone who writes a blog post every day cannot write a novel. And someone who is treated as a G.o.d for their ability to compose poetry on the streets cannot write bestselling lyrics. It may all be types of "writing", but a change in genre could change someone's scores drastically.

The bias in my mental ability was nothing more than that.

And there were times when you had to attempt something even though you knew you were terrible at it.

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

I had worn a swimsuit with a hoodie and miniskirt, but it had been a failure. If he viewed it as my normal clothes, it no longer seemed special. I had monitored his expression closely, but his perspiration and pupil dilation had been at normal levels. Things were not going well. People had a tendency to grow accustomed to things, but I was unsure how to achieve a greater impact.

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

I thought while das.h.i.+ng down the hallway toward the detective's room.

I gave up trying to come up with something 5 seconds after I began thinking.

"There's no use in thinking about something you're terrible at!"

I spotted the detective just as he stepped out of his door, possibly to head to the hotel's shop. I started running towards him while stretching my arms up into the air and arching my back to put as much of a burden on the chest of my swimsuit as I could. (Mostly by pulling it upwards.)

"Hey there, detective! I'm willing to go as far as a swimsuit wardrobe malfunction!!"

"Are you mocking the j.a.panese police!?"

Sigh.

I couldn't believe that d.a.m.n Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ had brought such a horrible toy with her.

But I could hardly spend all my time sobbing in my room. Staying by myself was just too boring. We were on a trip to a sightseeing spot! I was in a resort hotel with my rich cla.s.smate and a huge-breasted Youkai!! And so I took action. I headed off to search for some kind of fun that was full of sleazy desire. In my current mood, I would certainly have tried to peek if the hotel had an open air bath. Unfortunately, it was a western hotel.

"I at least want to hug someone. If I let that be the opening move to set the mood for the trip, things are sure to escalate from there. It will be harder to get anything started in the second half of the trip once the standards have been set."

I set the initial goal as low as I could to avoid crus.h.i.+ng myself under self-created pressure. I opened the door to my room and headed out into the hallway. If I was going to find someone, it would either be in the lobby or the lounge. Or I could call Madoka down by cell phone.

While I was waiting for the elevator, someone exited a room on the same floor.

It was a woman wearing an eye-catching outfit.

There were probably fewer than 30 women in the world who could get away with wearing a tank top and hot pants after 20.

I then recognized who she was.

She had been with my uncle.

She was certainly beautiful, but I had a hard time coming up with a way to start a conversation with someone with as much of a mature aura as she had. Just like a middle school student and a high school student were completely different things, a high school student and a college student were completely different things. I got the feeling that the foundations of our thoughts were completely different. In fact, I felt like I would need a Hollywood celebrity level foundation to even think about approaching someone like her.

The woman must have been bored waiting for the elevator because she pulled out her cell phone.

"Have you been here long? This is my first day, but I'm already wondering what we can possibly do for an entire week after looking around the pastures."

Betraying all of my expectations, she actually spoke to me.

What? What?

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

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

"Y-yeah."

"Do you know if there is a casino somewhere nearby as a bonus stage?"

"I only just got here today, too."

"I see. I guess I may be stuck just playing with the Sunekosuri. Oh, right. Have you seen this?"

The woman held her cell phone out toward me. The screen showed a low quality home video filmed with a small lens. I felt the urge to point out that there was no way I could have seen it before.

But what was it?

It looked like the back of an old tatami-filled room in Kyoto or something. It looked less like something from an agricultural village like my house and more like something befitting n.o.bility. In the room was a girl of about 10 with black hair and wearing a kimono that looked about as expensive as a foreign car.

The girl did not seem used to being filmed, so she was blus.h.i.+ng a deep red and waving her hands in front of her face.

"Hey, stop, hey! I do not particularly mind, but you cannot film inside the facility for security reasons…" said the girl.

"It isn't on," said another voice.

"Eh? Um…really?"

"You're too self-conscious."

"To be honest, I do not understand what you hope to gain by filming me, but I do not mind as long as you do it elsewhere."

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

"So you are filming?"

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

"See?"

"Don't you think girls of about that age stimulate your protection instincts the most? They're just so cute. If she was some hairy dirty old man, I would have abandoned them long ago. Then again, I don't think I was that cute even as a kid. Maybe that's why I like them so much."

"I-I see…"

Personally, I was not old enough to think kids were cute. I was more interested in older girls. Each individual part of the girl in the video was fine, but she gave me an overall unsteady appearance because the balance of the parts seemed somehow off. Maybe because she was still in the process of growing. Still, she was definitely better than a baby.

At any rate…

I was more surprised to learn such a young woman had a daughter of about 10.

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

"Then what the h.e.l.l is that video about!?"

"It's like a good luck charm. When I think about the fact that some kid young enough to call science cla.s.s 'life environment studies' is desperately trying to hold together an organization, I'm willing to put up with a few unreasonable demands."

"Eh? Eh???"

With that final incomprehensible comment, the woman got onto the elevator that had arrived.

I watched the elevator leave and then suddenly realized something.

"Wait, I was waiting for the elevator too!!"

I had a habit of eating dinner early. But then, my life cycle had me eating the equivalent of a late-night snack instead of breakfast. I still had to eat three meals a day, but my job did not exactly allow me to wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night.

This meant I was not eating at the same time as my little sister and the detective, so I was eating alone. Well, it was also my duty as the older sister to not disturb those two. Really, they should just hurry up and get married.

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

The food listed on the menu was quite expensive, but the ticket I was staying with came with free meals. I ordered a light course that featured a rare veal steak. I did not order an alcoholic drink. I did enjoy drinking, but I preferred to do so at a specialty bar. You couldn't just get a bit intoxicated with your dinner. That was like ordering the curry rice at a beachside restaurant and a.s.suming you were suddenly an expert in Indian food.

The food wasn't bad.

It was a small hotel, but it was a sightseeing spot in an Intellectual Village, so it had more workers than necessary. Not only did the ticket eliminate the ridiculously expensive lodging fees and meal expenses, but we did not have to pay their labor costs either.

After finis.h.i.+ng off the dessert, I wiped my mouth with my napkin and called over a nearby worker.

"Hey, I have a question."

"What might that be?"

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

"If you contact the front desk, you can get a newspaper sent to your room each morning. You can choose from 3 national papers and 2 in English."

"That should do it. Does it cost extra?"

"It is included in the room fee."

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

"Is that all?"

"Oh, right. One more thing. It's not that big a deal, but…Matsukai-san…"

I read the workers name from the nameplate on his chest.

"What is it?"

"Do you mind telling me your full name?"

"It is Matsukai Hiros.h.i.+."

"Oh?"

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

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

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

"What an unusual name."

"Is it?"

"It is unusual in this area at least. That name is an endangered species."

"I do not see how the two names would be that unusual to see together."

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

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

He must have realized his mistake as soon as he made it. He frantically recomposed his expression, but it was too late. It did not matter whether he could see the Deadly Dragon Princess or not. Or rather, I had not even pulled it up from the water using the summoning medium, so there was no way he could see it. What mattered was that he had reacted to the term "Deadly Dragon Princess". He had felt true fear upon hearing it. Any normal person would have simply been confused.

I reached for the decorative fork in the center of the table and the man naming himself Matsukai Hiros.h.i.+ slowly reached around to his back. He had abandoned his "role" without losing the smile.

I could sense no clear killer intent.

The restaurant music playing in the background seemed to fill the atmosphere.

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

This was going to be fun.

At the very least, he would likely put up more of a fight than the previous Matsukai-san. If he pulled out a handgun, he would rank at about a B, but I could find myself in a bit of a gamble if he pulled out something a little more interesting. I decided it would be safest to end this with my first move. The only question was whether I could do so with only a knife and fork.

But then…

The atmosphere filling the room was destroyed by a few footsteps coming from the entrance to the restaurant.

Oh, s.h.i.+t. Not good.

Some normal people had arrived…no, they were my little sister's friends. Kotemitsu Madoka, Jinnai s.h.i.+n.o.bu, and the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+. Even if I had never spoken with someone, there were plenty of ways to learn their names.

"I'm hungry."

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

"…Aren't you being a bit merciless after seeing that idyllic scenery?"

Meanwhile. Matsukai Hiros.h.i.+-san took a slow step backwards while still smiling and with one hand still reaching around behind him. Using his eyes, he told me to postpone things for the moment.

He a.s.sured me we could continue this later.

I see, I see, I see.

So that's the way you think.

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

He slowly nodded back and took another step backwards.

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

It happened suddenly.

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

By the time my mind managed to comprehend the situation, the worker named Matsukai had already been knocked to the ground and had a silver fork stabbed into the side of his neck. It wasn't as dangerous a weapon as a knife or icepick, but it was clearly sticking into a very dangerous place.

"Wh-wha-what!? What the h.e.l.l are you doing!?"

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

It was only then that I heard the clatter of the chair the woman had been sitting in hitting the floor. Everything from standing up from the chair to finis.h.i.+ng the attack had been done in a single motion. She was fast. Overwhelmingly fast. Was she a cheetah or something!?

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

"Okay, Matsukai Hiros.h.i.+ Mark 2. What are you doing out here in the country? Since you're using that name, I a.s.sume you aren't simply constructing a Package. How is Sais.h.i.+ Kajin related to this? In fact, are they still around?"

"Speak to me. Give me some communication please. I made sure you had enough strength left to do that. If I move my wrist like I'm twirling pasta around the fork, I can rip your nerves and artery to shreds. I am His.h.i.+gami Mai. Do you really think you can keep silent in front of me?"

For some reason, Matsukai-san was smiling even while being asked those nonsensical questions. It was possible they were not nonsensical to him.

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

"D-did you kill him!?"

"He had some means of committing suicide. It wasn't the almond-smelling method, though."

The woman clicked her tongue, pulled out the deadly fork, and wrapped a nearby napkin around it. She may have been trying to take the evidence with her. I was completely dumbfounded by the entire situation and could not take my eyes off of Matsukai-san as he lay motionless on the ground.

Could he still be saved?

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

"No, don't even try it. I told you he had a means prepared, didn't I? If you kiss him now, you'll just end up with b.l.o.o.d.y foam coming from your mouth too."

The situation was shocking enough, but the woman's atmosphere was even more frightening.

She was used to this.

Her expression made it clear this was not the first time she had seen a dead body. In fact, she looked like she had created as many dead bodies as a normal person had received cardboard boxes from things bought online and plastic bags from convenience stores. She was not normal. A simple murderer would have been bad enough, but she was 2 or 3 levels beyond that.

My tongue trembled.

As it twisted around in my mouth, I just barely managed to get the words out.

"Don't…move."

"Why?"

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

But I was wrong.

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

She understood something about the fear I was feeling. It was wrapped around me and holding me in place, but she accepted it as normal.

"They say curiosity killed the cat, but a sense of justice can destroy nations. I have experienced it, so I know what I am talking about. I am not saying it is necessarily bad, but don't let it control you. That can have worse results than a kid with a handgun tucked into his pants."

The woman took a step toward me.

She crushed my pathetic warning underfoot.

She crossed a certain line.

I moved backwards like I was being magnetically repelled by her. I then turned around so I could bring the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ and Madoka with me to-…

"Th-they're gone!? Those two…!!"

They had likely already fled the restaurant. It didn't matter. I couldn't even work up anger at the fact that they had abandoned me. Instead, I was relieved that burden had been removed from me. My legs got tangled up underneath me and I half-ran, half-tripped out of the restaurant.

When I entered the hallway, I spotted the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ and Madoka standing a bit away.

"You didn't run away!?"

"What are you talking about, s.h.i.+n.o.bu? You're the one that wouldn't respond when we called out to you."

The whole time?

How long did that last? Seconds? Minutes?

And when did it start? When the fear and abnormality of that woman wrapped around me? Or from the moment I had saw that worker get stabbed?

When I thought about it like that, I realized I should probably be thankful that they waited around that long when a murderer could be coming at any moment.

Madoka called out to me with her face horribly pale.

"Wh-what do we do now?"

"A room! You two get to one of the hotel rooms! Madoka, you stay with the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+! She may not be deadly, but she's still a Youkai. She isn't easy to kill!!"

I doubted that girl in the red yukata would be any good in a fight and that nonstandard woman seemed like she could kill even a deadly Youkai without difficulty, so that hardly put my mind at ease. I couldn't come up with a plan and attack her from some gap or blind spot. The fear that woman gave me seemed to utterly destroy the very a.s.sumptions and environment required to put together a strategy.

For some reason, the Zas.h.i.+ki Waras.h.i.+ puffed her chest out with pride and said, "Do not expect anything from me in a battle."

"I'm not planning to fight either. I doubt I could put up any kind of a fight. I need to call the police. Either that or tell the other workers what happened. I just need to