Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? Volume 1 Chapter 5

Tuesday, April 7th, 7:30 AM.

"...In the end, she didn't come out at all..."

"If you leave her here with me, she definitely won't come out."

Koutarou stopped with his shoe in hand and turned towards the inner room.

Yurika had not come out of the wardrobe ever since she had jumped in.

The frightened, sulking Yurika had refused to come out no matter how many times they tried to persuade her.

And Koutarou was about to put things there on hold and head for school.

"She'll come out when she gets hungry."

"I hope so. But at this rate, we're not going to get anywhere..."

"You're right about that..."

Koutarou finished putting on his shoes and forced a smile as he stood up.

"Hurry up and come back, okay?"

"Yeah. I don't have any work today, so I'll be home earlier than yesterday."

"Yeah, come back safely."

I'm being seen off...

"Yeah, I'll see you later."

And saying good bye...

The two who had been fighting over the room exchanged those words. Oddly enough, it did not feel unnatural.

As Koutarou stepped out he spotted Kenji, who was leaving his bike in the bike racks in front of the apartments.

"Hey, Mackenzie."

"Morning, Kou."

Having finished locking the bike, Kenji approached Koutarou, who was in the middle of yawning.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa..."

"What, sleep-deprived again?"

"Something like that. It was hard to sleep..."

"That ghost?"

"That's part of it."

Koutarou felt a sudden tremor.

"Eh?"

At first Koutarou thought it was because he was moving, but he kept shaking even when he had stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"Isn't it shaking?"

"Hm? Yeah, now that you mention it, it is shaking a bit."

"An earthquake?"

"Probably. I doubt there's any construction going on at this time, after all."

The two looked down at the ground, and after a few seconds the shaking ceased.

"It looks like it's stopped."

"Well, that's about it I guess."

As they were talking s.h.i.+zuka's voice could be heard from above.

"Good morning, Satomi-kun, Mackenzie-kun!"

Koutarou and Kenji looked up at s.h.i.+zuka, who was on the second floor pa.s.sage in the middle of locking her door.

"Good morning, Landlord-san!"

"Good morning, Kasagi-san."

"The weather's very nice today."

s.h.i.+zuka walked down the stairs of the second floor.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"I didn't wait at all, Landlord-san."

"I only just arrived as well."

Today was the day lessons began at Kitsushouharukaze High School.

Fortunately, the three happened to be a.s.signed to the same cla.s.s, and so they had decided to go to school together.

"Oh, good. Let's go then, shall we?"

"Yes!"

"Got it. But Kou, you sure are strangely polite to Kasagi-san."

"You're right, Mackenzie-kun. Even though I'm calling him Satomi-kun, he's being formal and calling me landlord-san."

"It's only normal to hold your landlord in high regard."

"He's been raised to value hard work, so he's always like this towards those he works with."

"I see... ufufufu."

The three walked together to school.

It was the second day of school counting the entrance ceremony, and the cla.s.sroom was quiet.

There were a few groups talking, but it was mostly groups of students who had gone to the same middle school.

It would probably take a few more days for the students to get used to one another.

"Satomi-kun!"

In the quiet cla.s.sroom s.h.i.+zuka's voice could be clearly heard.

She was carrying a cardboard box and moving towards Koutarou and Kenji's seats.

"What is it, Landlord-san?"

"Fufufu, please don't call me Landlord-san at school, Satomi-kun. Oh right, here you go."

"What's this?"

Koutarou received a small cardboard box from s.h.i.+zuka.

"I spoke to a cla.s.smate of mine from middle school who knows a lot about these kinds of things, and after I explained the circ.u.mstances to her she gave me all this."

When Koutarou opened the box he saw a lot of notes, labels, ropes and decorated sticks inside.

"Religious equipment..."

Kenji, whose seat was right in front of Koutarou and who was also peeking into the box, stated the contents of the box before s.h.i.+zuka.

"Religious equipment?"

Koutarou, who didn't understand, asked Kenji.

"Yeah, look at this. It has 'begone evil spirits' written on it."

"You're right."

"But to think there's equipment from so many different religions gathered here. s.h.i.+nto, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic... Wow, even Voodoo."

"Why would you give this to me, Landlord-san?"

"That's because you said a ghost appeared in your room. I thought this might help."

"Ah..."

Koutarou finally remembered that he was fighting against Sanae over the room.

That's right, I'm fighting her over owners.h.i.+p of the room.

With Yurika showing up the day before, there was no time for any of that.

"Wouldn't all of this cost quite a bit, Kasagi-san?"

"Oh, about that, Mackenzie-kun. These were about to expire so I got them for free."

"Expire!? Religious equipment!?"

Hearing those unexpected words from s.h.i.+zuka's mouth left Kenji amazed.

"That's what she said. She also said the expiration date was really really close, so use them as soon as possible."

"...To think the wave of civilization would affect even these kinds of things."

Kenji picked up a small, dried up, suspicious looking charm, and stared at the label attached to it.

'Expiration date: six months from manufacturing. For date of manufacture, please consult the packaging.'

"The world is coming to an end..."

That was Kenji's honest opinion.

"This'll help a lot, Landlord-san."

"I hope it'll be useful."

"I'll make it useful!"

"Do your best, Kou; I'm cheering for you!"

"Then help me out!"

"No way. You know I'm bad with those kinds of things."

"Now that you mention it..."

Kenji hated all things occult.

Even though he was more knowledgeable, he feared them more than Koutarou.

If you asked him, he'd say he hated it because he knew about it.

"Alright, with this..."

Koutarou stopped mid-sentence, remembering that he had one other he had to drive out of his room.

Self-proclaimed Princess of Love and Courage: Magical Girl Rainbow Yurika.

She was an embarra.s.sing girl with an excessive cosplay hobby.

"Hey, Mackenzie."

"I won't help, no matter how many times you ask!"

"Not that. There's something I want to ask."

"Hmm? What?"

Kenji nodded and turned to Koutarou, who indicated the cardboard box.

"Ghosts can be exorcised with these kinds of things, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, what do you use to exorcise cosplayers?"

Koutarou looked at him seriously.

"Are you stupid? There's no such thing!"

"Don't say that, I'm serious here."

Yesterday he'd only had to deal with a ghost, but today he also had to deal with a cosplayer.

Koutarou was serious.

"Seriously, cosplayers are just normal people. Don't be stupid."

"So I can just use force?"

"Do whatever you want!"

Kenji adjusted his gla.s.ses with an annoyed expression.

"Hmm..."

And as Koutarou crossed his arms to think, s.h.i.+zuka, who had been watching the two, started laughing.

"Fufufu, you two sure get along well."

"Only because we've known each other for so long..."

"Don't make it sound so unpleasant, Mackenzie!"

"Fufu. You don't really hate it. Right, Mackenzie-kun?"

"I really do!"

"You're not honest, are you, Mackenzie-kun."

"Landlord-san, he's always trying to act tough."

"Kou! Are you picking a fight with me!?"

"Ahahahaha!"

s.h.i.+zuka's laughter filled the cla.s.sroom, but even hearing her exuberant voice, Koutarou was thinking about something completely different.

Do I really want to drive Sanae away?

For Koutarou, that was a sudden and unexpected doubt.

After school, having finished clean-up duty, Koutarou headed for the club building.

There were all kinds of clubs and societies in each of the rooms.

In fact, you could call it an apartment building for clubs.

"Well, it's technically treated as a society so..."

Koutarou headed for the south wing of the second floor, where the societies had been gathered.

Sports clubs were gathered around the entrances, but further inside the building there were almost no students to be found.

In the quiet hallway only Koutarou's footsteps could be heard.

"Here it is."

Koutarou stopped in front of the farthest back room.

The Knitting Society.

That was the society he had joined on announcement day.

"h.e.l.lo?"

Koutarou knocked on the door.

Because the door was made of resin and had an aluminium frame, the sound of the knock carried down the entire hallway.

".. Ye-Yes!"

A slightly panicked voice answered.

Shortly after, the door was unlocked, and a girl's face popped out.

"Who is - ah..."

The girl made a suspicious face at first, but after noticing it was Koutarou she eased up.

"h.e.l.lo, Senpai."

"Welcome, Satomi-kun."

The girl was Sakuraba Harumi, the club president, and the only member apart from Koutarou.

To Koutarou, who was a complete beginner, even the basics of knitting were hard to grasp.

To explain it, you spin the wool on your finger around the knitting needle, and on top of the needle you make loose knots.

Although it is easy once one becomes used to it, Koutarou was clumsy and had a bad memory, making it rather troublesome.

"Senpai, what do I do here?"

"You pull to the right and then loop it around here."

"Oh, that's right. Now I remember..."

Koutarou would sometimes stop to look at Harumi before continuing on.

And although he was somewhat careless and almost stabbed his fingers on the needle, Koutarou was thoroughly knitting.

"There's no need to rush, Satomi-kun. I won't mind if you do it slowly; today is just practice."

"Ye-yes. I'm sorry, I'm clumsy."

"I don't mind. Everyone is like that when they first start."

Harumi seemed happy as she watched over Koutarou.

Normally she was shy and withdrawn, but right now she was upbeat and talkative, probably because she was doing what she loved.

"Was it the same for you too, Senpai?"

"Yes. I've even stabbed my fingers with a knitting needle before."

Harumi fondly remembered her past. Even so, Koutarou was not looking at her face at the time. If he had been, he would not have been able to forget the smile on her face for the rest of the day.

"Do this like this and... Haha, I feel more motivated after hearing that even senpai has failed before."

"When you put it like that it sounds like you're teasing me. Fufufu, but you still haven't stabbed your finger yet, so you might be better than I was."

"Ahaha, I'll try."

Even while laughing Koutarou diligently kept moving the knitting needle, not looking away from his hands.

It sure is unexpected... That someone like Satomi-kun would work this hard...

Harumi, who was seated next to Koutarou, couldn't help but find it mysterious.

While she herself enjoyed knitting, she was also aware that not everyone else did.

She did not expect an athletic type like Koutarou to show any interest in this kind of thing.

She had at one point even wondered if he had some kind of ulterior motive, like the boy from announcement day.

"Senpai, when I pull the knots is it alright if I put some force into it?"

"Ah, yes, that's okay. But it'll turn out poorly if you pull too much and the sides become unbalanced, so be careful."

"Oh, I see. Got it."

"Good."

Why does he work so hard...?

In reality, however, that was not the case. Koutarou was earnestly working away and trying to seriously learn knitting.

Harumi couldn't help but find that mysterious.

"Satomi-kun..."

"Yes, what is it?"

Hearing Harumi's tone, Koutarou stopped moving his knitting needles and looked up.

Being confronted by Koutarou's gaze, Harumi's normal shy and withdrawn personality returned ever so slightly.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"That's fine, ask me anything."

"I-in that case..."

Having made up her mind, Harumi swallowed her saliva and pitched her question to Koutarou.

"Satomi-kun, what made you want to pick up knitting?"

"Pick up knitting?"

Koutarou laughed self-consciously and put his hand to his head.

"It doesn't fit me at all, does it? Ahahaha..."

Koutarou was aware of how he must look to others.

"Th-that's not what I meant! I just meant that, well, wouldn't a guy get bored doing this?... And that made me wonder..."

Hearing Koutarou's laughing voice, Harumi's face turned red and she turned her gaze downward.

Looking at her, Koutarou decided to tell her about his circ.u.mstances.

He felt that she would understand, and since she was his teacher he felt it was only fair she should know.

"You don't seem like the gossiping type, so I'll tell you."

"Satomi-kun?..."

Harumi looked back up at Koutarou, and she was slightly surprised that his face was more serious than she had expected.

"Actually, there's a half-knit sweater in my room..."

"Sweater... Ah..."

Harumi remembered Koutarou's words from the first time she had met him.

"Would it be possible for a complete amateur to knit a sweater?"

"I hope to complete it with my own hands eventually. Hahaha, who knows how long it'll take before I'll be able to do it though..."

That sweater must hold some memories of someone special to him.

That is what Harumi thought as she looked at Koutarou's smile. His slightly embarra.s.sed, laughing expression was oddly gentle.

So that's why he's working so hard... He must think that completing the sweater... I see, so that's how it is...

Filled with relief, Harumi felt joy from the bottom of her heart.

"I understand, Satomi-kun. I'll make sure that you'll be able to complete that sweater!"

"Really!?"

"Yes!"

Harumi was truly happy that Koutarou was taking knitting seriously and that she had been able to find a true companion.

"Let's work together, Satomi-kun!"

"Yes!"

Koutarou being unskilled was not a problem at all. Harumi didn't think anything of it.

But I wonder who knitted that sweater...

Harumi asked herself, but the question quickly left her mind.

That doesn't matter! Let's get along, Satomi-kun!

Harumi was satisfied having found a true companion. It was a truly joyful event for her.

"I do this here, and..."

Koutarou reviewed what he had learned that day while walking to Corona House.

The sight of a boy moving his hands in a suspicious way in a town painted by the sunset was surreal.

Even so, Koutarou was serious.

He moved his empty hands and continued his image training.

"Hmm?"

As Koutarou returned to Corona House he could hear a sound from the garden.

"I wonder what that is."

As Koutarou rounded the concrete wall, he saw s.h.i.+zuka, who was wearing an ap.r.o.n over her school uniform and holding a large bamboo broom.

She was in the middle of cleaning up the garden.

"Welcome back, Satomi-kun."

"I'm back, Landlord-san."

s.h.i.+zuka welcomed him with a smile.

"I was cleaning the garden."

"I see."

There was a small pile of uprooted weeds at her feet. After pulling up the weeds, she gathered them up with her broom.

"I want to keep this as beautiful as possible."

s.h.i.+zuka smiled and narrowed her eyes as she looked up at Corona House, dyed by the sunset.

Corona House was beautiful.

Although the design was old fas.h.i.+oned, the 25 year old building showed no signs of its age.

This was because s.h.i.+zuka had never neglected maintaining it.

"Landlord-san, you said this house was left behind by your parents."

Koutarou also looked up at Corona House.

"Yes, that's right. That's why I want to keep it standing as long as possible, although in the end it will probably be demolished."

"I'll make sure to live with care."

Koutarou understood s.h.i.+zuka's feelings.

They were the same kinds of feelings that Koutarou had towards completing the sweater.

"Thank you, Satomi-kun."

"Well, I have to act cool from time to time."

"It would have been a moving scene too, if only you hadn't said that. Ahaha."

"Wahahahaha!"

And as the two laughed, a small, blue light flew across the crimson sky.

"Ah, a shooting star."

"So it is."

The shooting star flew close by Corona House and had entered the view of the pair.

"...I wish that Satomi-kun won't lose to the ghost."

s.h.i.+zuka puts her hands together and made a wish.

The star vanished at the same time she finished wis.h.i.+ng.

"I won't lose to a ghost. Besides I got a bunch of religious equipment from you."

"Just in case, Satomi-kun. Ufufu."

"I'm not being trusted at all..."

"I trust you."

"You're just feigning it!"

"Ara ara. Ahahaha."

"Wahahahaha!"

The pair talked happily, but the only reason they were able to remain so cheerful was because they were unaware of what was about to happen.

Standing in front of Room 106, Koutarou reached into his pocket and took out his key. He could hear voices coming from inside.

"Nooooooooo! Please don't come any closer!!"

"Fuefuefue, what does it matter, what does it matter?"

"I hate ghosts!!"

"What's the matter, magical girl Rainbow Yurika?"

What he could hear were the voices of a frightened Yurika and a playful Sanae.

"...What are they doing?"

Koutarou unlocked the door, put the key back into his pocket, and opened the door.

"Sa-save meeeeeee!"

"Oo!?

At that moment, Yurika jumped out of the room into the hallway and began trembling as she hid behind Koutarou's back.

"Gh-ghost-san, i-if you're going to possess someone, po-possess this person!"

"Come on now, for someone who introduces herself as a magical girl of love and courage..."

Koutarou was awestruck.

Well it's only natural; she's just a cosplayer after all.

As Koutarou was thinking this, the other person in the room came to the front door.

"Welcome home."

"Thanks, I'm back."

Koutarou responded to Sanae's welcome, took off his shoes, and entered the room. The trembling Yurika followed him in.

"Sanae, don't bully her too much. She's not related to all this."

"I am related!"

"I know she's not directly related, but if she starts up a cosplay party here, I won't stand for it."

"I'm not here to host that kind of party! The evil magical girls are... The enemies are approaching!"

"...It seems the party is just moments away."

"Right?"

"Please listen to what I have to say! Please!"

"Fine, fine."

"We know, we know. Danger is approaching, right?"

"It must be nice for someone who's only playing..."

"That's true..."

"Aaaaaaaa, you're not listening at all!"

As he entered the inner room, Koutarou threw his bag into a corner and turned to Sanae.

"Sanae, let's leave this girl be for now."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Don't leave me be, please! This is important!"

"For the time being, let's settle this between you and me."

"Yeah..."

Suddenly the smiling Sanae's expression darkened.

"... That's right, I had to drive you out of this room, didn't I."

"I can't afford to leave, so I need to exorcise you."

"That's right, that's what this was about."

That had been the intention of those two up until yesterday. However, those feelings had gradually diminished.

"Please listen to what I have to say!"

"Could you quiet down? There's no time for playing!"

"Sorry, I'll play with you later."

"Noooooo, I don't want to play with a ghost!"

"...Do you want me to listen or not? Make up your mind!"

"Hey, Koutarou..."

Sanae spoke to him in a quiet voice. Up to that point, her voice had always been loud and energetic, so this attracted his attention.

"Hmm?"

"...Do you hate me?"

"Eh?"

"If by any chance you - "

What interrupted Sanae was a large sound.

"Kyaaaaaaa!?"

Yurika screamed, and at the same time the tatami mat next to the entrance of the inner room was sent flying.

Yurika, who had been standing on that mat at the time, crashed face-first into the ground.

"Why is it always me!?"

Yurika rolled, smashed into the wall, and stopped moving.

"Gyafu."

"What!? What just happened!?"

"Koutarou, below the tatami mat! Someone's coming out!"

"What!?"

Koutarou, who had been following the flying tatami mat, looked back and saw a person coming up from where the mat had been.

There was a round hole in the floorboards, just large enough for a person to pa.s.s through.

"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My apologies for the surprise."

Coming up from beneath the ground was a lone girl. She appeared to be slightly older than Koutarou.

She was tall, with a proper, formal appearance and distinct eyes, creating a composed atmosphere around her.

"My name is Kiriha. A descendant of the people of the earth, born to the Kurano family, who presides over oracles and incantations."

However, her clothes were strange.

She was wearing rare old-fas.h.i.+oned clothing with lots of adornments.

It was almost like something out of a history book, resembling the outfit of an ancient j.a.panese shrine maiden.

"Kiriha?"

"What's up with this one...!?"

With this, four people had gathered in the small room. Koutarou, Sanae, Yurika and Kiriha.

Why do people keep flocking to this room...?

Koutarou was less concerned with the appearance of Kiriha, and more concerned with the increasing population of his room.

Koutarou, Sanae and Kiriha were sitting at the tea table in the middle of the room.

Yurika was still lying next to the wall by the window, unconscious and unmoving.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Kurano Kiriha. As Kurano is the name of my clan, I'd prefer if you called me Kiriha."

"I'm Satomi Koutarou."

"I'm Sanae."

"Koutarou and Sanae. Though it be merely until we're done with my business, I hope we'll be able to get along."

Hearing their names, Kiriha politely bowed.

"How polite."

"Le-let's get along."

Koutarou and Sanae returned the bow.

"Firstly, I'd like to apologize. I'm sorry for coming out of a place like that. It was the result of not wanting to cause a lot of commotion."

"Please raise your head, Kiriha-san."

Koutarou was gracious in kind to Kiriha, who kept bowing her head politely.

"We wish to express our grat.i.tude for your generosity. Thank you, Koutarou."

Kiriha raised her head with a smile on her lips. Her sincere demeanor and amiable posture dispelled Koutarou's wariness.

Her clothes are strange and her tone is stiff, but it seems like she can at least hold a proper conversation.

The encounters with Yurika yesterday and Sanae the day before had been disasters, but Kiriha's appearance left Koutarou with a good impression.

"Well, Kiriha-san, what kind of business do you have here? And why did you come from below - "

"Hey, Koutarou!"

"Uwa! Wh-what is it, Sanae?"

Sanae's sullen face cut in between the two, interrupting Koutarou mid-sentence.

"Your att.i.tude is completely different from when you met me and Yurika!"

"Of course it is. The other party's att.i.tude is different, after all."

"...Aha~ I can see right through you~"

"Wh-what's with that look?"

"It's because of those big b.r.e.a.s.t.s, isn't it!? You pervert!"

"Eh? Are Kiriha-san's b.r.e.a.s.t.s big!?"

"If you didn't notice, you don't have to looook!"

An English-j.a.panese dictionary sent flying by Sanae's Poltergeist struck Koutarou's head.

"...Do-don't be unreasonable!"

"This is usually how we act!"

"Then don't get angry when you're left out of the conversation!"

"Grrr... I still feel like something's unfair! Hmph, I don't care anyway!"

As if she had been talked down to by Koutarou, Sanae looked away sullenly.

"...Is it okay if I continue?"

Kiriha, who had been watching the pair in amazement, cleared her throat with a soft cough and straightened her posture.

"I'm sorry, Kiriha-san."

"Not at all. I'm the one being unreasonable, appearing at such a strange time from such a strange place. There's no need to worry."

"I appreciate you saying that. Kiriha-san, I'll ask you again: what reason do you have for coming here? And why did you come from under the floor?"

"For me to explain that, I'll need to start by explaining who I am."

Kiriha gazed directly at Koutarou and began to speak boldly.

"I'm of the people of the earth, and as you might guess from the name, we live in this planet."

"Ha... But doesn't everyone?"

Koutarou didn't understand what Kiriha was talking about and replied with a perplexed expression on his face.

People normally lived in the planet after all.

"That's not what I meant. We don't live on this planet, but literally inside of it."

"Eh!? Which means your people live under the earth?"

"That's right. To make it easy for us you could call us the underground people. We live completely self-sufficiently underground."

"You don't mean..."

"Un-underground people!?"

It wasn't just Koutarou, but Sanae, who had been looking away, who stared at Kiriha in surprise.

"What would someone like that want with us!?"

Sanae slammed her hands down on the tea table and leaned in towards Kiriha.

"Calm down, Sanae. I haven't put the luggage in order so it's very cramped. Don't move around too much."

"Ah, So-sorry..."

Being reprimanded by Koutarou, Sanae sat down in her original place.

"Our purpose for coming here is not you or even this building."

"What does that mean?"

"Our tribe originally lived in the mountains of this region. However, when your ancestors started using metal in large quant.i.ties and began mining into our mountain, we were forced to live underground."

"And that's how you became underground people?"

"That would be the result of it, yes. Having gone underground, our tribe had originally planned on returning to the surface shortly thereafter. However, they unexpectedly found the underground comfortable. About half the tribe stayed underground. Those people would be my ancestors."

"Heeh..."

Having come from underground, Kiriha's words were very convincing.

The hole left in the floor seemed to lead downwards into the very depths of the earth.

"And recently, we made a historic discovery."

"A historic discovery? What?"

"A single book was discovered by chance. In it, the position of the altar where our ancestors' souls are enshrined was recorded. We have been seeking it for countless years."

"So, you surfaced to look for the altar?"

In response to Koutarou's question, Kiriha nodded.

"That's right. However, the position of the altar was accurately recorded, so there's no reason to look for it."

"So your business is almost done already."

"Good for you, Kiriha-san."

"It's not all that easy."

Kiriha sadly lowered her eyebrows and shook her head.

"We would love nothing more than to rebuild our altar. However, there's a problem with the place."

"The place...?"

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

Sanae made an unpleasant expression.

"Actually, our altar's position would be the middle of this room."

Hearing Kiriha's words, they were just as Sanae had feared.

"Which means, Kiriha-san..."

"Yes, Koutarou. Could you please relinquish this room to us? It's important for the altar to be in this exact position."

"I knew it!"

Sanae stood up in a hurry.

"Of course we won't give to you! I won't let you build some strange altar here!"

Sanae refused to let somebody just build an altar in her home.

"We won't forcibly evict you. Our tribe has its pride and traditions. We won't force our matters onto you. In return, we would like to offer you the necessary compensation to find an abode elsewhere. Karama, Korama, please bring that."

"Got it-ho[1]!"

"Understood-ho, Ane-san!"

Two small shadows appeared from the hole.

"Wh-what's that!?"

"Ha-haniwa?[2]"

"Ho~"

"Hoho~"

They were two haniwa about 30 centimeters long. With smooth surfaces and adorable faces, the two were combining forces to carry a golden glowing lump of metal.

"Hey!"

"Ho~"

"Hey!"

"Ho~"

The two were letting out strange voices as they carried the lump of metal towards the stunned Koutarou and Sanae.

"Soooo cuuuteee!"

"Wh-what are they!?"

"There is no need to be surprised. These two are my servants. They are similar to the machine dolls your people use."

"Ho-! I'm Karama-ho!"

"h.e.l.lo-ho! I'm Korama!"

Putting down the metal lump in front of Koutarou, the two waved cheerfully.

"To think these are robots..."

"h.e.l.lo, Karama-chan, Korama-chan!"

Koutarou and Sanae were shocked.

If Kiriha's words we're to be trusted, these two were robots.

However, nothing about them seemed mechanical.

Even though their bodies looked like pottery, their limbs moved freely.

In contrast to their lovely appearance, they must have been made using highly advanced techniques.

Sanae had her heart stolen by the cute robots.

"If Mackenzie saw this he might cry out in joy."

"Koutarou, Sanae. That lump of metal is solid gold. However, in the process of casting it, some platinum was mixed in, though I doubt that will lower its value. If you vacate this room, we will offer you this in return."

"Th-this is a remarkable amount, Kiriha-san!"

When told the metal in front of him was gold, Koutarou was shocked once again.

Gold is worth a few thousand yen per gram, and there must have been at least 10 kilos of it.

Which meant that that gold would be worth several tens of millions of yen.

It was an abnormal amount of gold just for clearing out of the apartment.

"This is just to prove how serious we are. If this causes you any inconvenience, we can exchange it to j.a.panese yen. How about it? Would you be willing to relinquish this room to us?"

"So much gold... What am I doing!? No way! There's just no way! This is my home after all! Koutarou, you say something too!"

"Hmmm..."

Sanae flat out refused, but on the other hand, Koutarou had his arms crossed and was deep in thought.

"Hey! What are you thinking for!?"

"Well, hearing her circ.u.mstances, I think it might not be wrong to cooperate with her."

"Koutarou!? Are you sure!?"

Hearing Koutarou's response, Kiriha's expression lit up and she stood.

The adornments attached to her clothes made piercing jangling noises.

Like the metal lump, it seemed like they were made from gold.

"Not just her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but you've lost sight of yourself over money as well!?"

"You're wrong! I can't accept this amount!.. Well, if I move, I'll need some amount of money, since if I couldn't survive after moving it would be pointless."

"That is well within your rights."

"When I told you to get out you refused! Why are you listening to this big-breasted woman! Are big b.r.e.a.s.t.s that great!?"

"Don't treat me like some pervert! It's just that I'm fine with cooperating with her because her motive and att.i.tude are reasonable!"

"What's up with that!?"

At this point Koutarou felt that it might be okay to cooperate with Kiriha.

She was very polite, and had explained her reasons clearly.

She had also said she would prepare necessary compensation for moving.

And her reasons for wanting the room were completely sound.

Rebuilding an altar to wors.h.i.+p their ancestors, which was similar to building a grave or a Buddhist altar.

Koutarou had no reason to refuse someone who only wished to honor their ancestors.

"Sanae, you probably want to stay in this room, but can't you compromise somehow? Even if you remain here, an altar wouldn't be an inconvenience, would it?"

"Th-that's... Well, it wouldn't be inconvenience, but..."

Sanae peeked at Kiriha's face.

Sanae had no reason to hate her, other than her big b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Therefore, Sanae's feelings began gradually changing due to Koutarou's persuasion.

"So forgive her, will you? Unlike Yurika, it's not like she wants to hold a cosplay party"

"I got it... I'll hold it in."

And Sanae finally gave in.

"Oh! So you'll agree! Koutarou, Sanae!"

Kiriha's expression brightened further.

"Yes."

"I don't really like it, but I have no choice. Circ.u.mstances can't be changed."

Sanae was going to coexist with the altar.

"Thank you, both of you! With this, we'll be able to move onto Phase Two right away!"

"Phase Two?"

"What's that?"

Koutarou and Sanae both tilted their heads in confusion after hearing Kiriha's words.

"The surface invasion operation. Once we activate the altar, we'll be able to gather large amounts of spiritual energy! And with that, we'll be able to ma.s.s produce spiritual weapons like Karama and Korama!"

"WH-WHAAAT!?"

"A SURFACE INVASION!?"

"Of course. There is no need to worry; you two benefactors will be treated as guests. There is absolutely nothing to worry about."

Kiriha had interpreted Koutarou and Sanae's surprise as worry over what would happen to them. Of course, that was not the actual reason behind their surprise.

"Wa-wait just a moment! So what!? You want to rebuild the altar where your ancestors have been enshrined to so you can invade the surface!?"

"That's right... What's wrong all of a sudden, Koutarou?"

Surprised by Koutarou's unexpected reaction, Kiriha looked at him in amazement and blinked.

"No 'whats' or 'whys'! I take it all back! I'll never hand the room over to you!"

"Well said, Koutarou!"

"Koutarou!? What now all of a sudden? You were being so cooperative just a moment ago!"

"I flat out refuse! I can't shoulder the responsibility of letting a surface invasion happen!"

Looking at Karama and Korama, even Koutarou, who was a novice at science could understand.

Making something like that required highly advanced techniques.

If those kinds of people invaded the surface, who knew what they could do.

He didn't even want to imagine it.

"I thought you were at least reasonable! But to think you would just casually say something so ridiculous!"

"...I see. For you to resist that much... Well, I have another plan."

"What!? Are you gonna use force!?"

"Well, who knows..."

Kiriha did not so much as flinch as Koutarou showed his enraged face before her. Instead, her lips formed a suspicious smile.

"Koutarou, the red bottle in the seasoning box is the salt, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So it was this after all..."

Koutarou was cutting up cabbage for dinner.

Next to him was Kiriha wearing an ap.r.o.n.

She was dexterously stirring the frying-pan while shaking the salt inside the small red bottle.

"Koutarou, would you prefer it to be heavily salted or just lightly?"

"...I would prefer it heavily."

"Heavily salted things are bad for your health. Let's start gradually decreasing the amount starting tomorrow. You're living on your own, so you need to take care of yourself."

Kiriha gently smiled while she continued to stir the frying-pan.

She was in the middle of stir-frying vegetables.

The cabbage Koutarou was cutting up was soon going to be added as well.

Moreover, the rice cooker was occupied in the inner room.

Kiriha had washed the rice a little while ago.

Koutarou's dinner for today consisted of rice, some meat, and stir-fried vegetables.

"Koutarou, are you done with the cabbage?"

"Ye-yeah."

"In that case, please add it in."

Kiriha lowered the flames and beckoned Koutarou.

"I didn't think you could cook, Koutarou."

"My old man couldn't do anything on his own, so..."

Koutarou threw the cabbage into the frying pan, and as the remaining moisture of the cabbage mixed with the oil it made a loud sizzling noise. Hearing that, Koutarou began feeling nostalgic.

How long has it been since I last stood next to someone in the kitchen?...

What had crossed Koutarou's mind was a memory of him standing next to his mother in the kitchen.

She would always have a gentle smile on her face, just like Kiriha.

"Koutarou, next time you cut up the cabbage, make sure you cut it thinner. It'll be hard for you to eat it like this"

"...Yeah."

With the image of his smiling mother in his head, Kiriha's smile proved to be very effective, and Koutarou obediently nodded his head.

"Koutarou, prepare the plate. It'll be done soon."

"Yeah."

Koutarou nodded once more and reached towards the shelf.

The sound of the frying-pan and tableware being placed filled the room.

The sounds continued for a while longer before Kiriha stopped the flames.

And she then casually called out to Koutarou while smiling.

"Koutarou, is the plate ready?"

"It's ready."

"Is the rice boiled?"

"In another two minutes."

"I see. Koutarou, will you relinquish this room?"

"I wi - "

Due the natural and casual way Kiriha asked him, Koutarou almost nodded and agreed instinctively.

"Of course I won't!"

"I see. That is regrettable."

She mentioned it casually, as if it was a completely normal conversation.

She had skillfully and casually mentioned it with opportune timing, and Koutarou had been close to agreeing several times.

"I won't fall for those kind of tricks!"

"You're quite a tough opponent, Koutarou."

Although Kiriha had failed several times, she didn't seem to mind.

"Fufufu, it seems this will become a long war."

"What are you trying to do?"

Koutarou was perplexed by her attacks.

Unlike Sanae, who was simply being unreasonable, or Yurika, who kept repeating her incomprehensible reasons, Kiriha's battle plan, trying to get into Koutarou's mind and make him casually agree, was more troublesome.

"I told you, didn't I? We have our pride and traditions. Using force goes against both of those."

"In that case, why not just give up on invading the surface?"

"We're just taking back what is rightfully ours. I told you, we have our pride and traditions. While we want to regain our territory, we don't hold a grudge against the people here. We know the pain of having something stolen, so we won't attack the people here. Our enemy is much bigger."

"So what, do you think I'll just agree with you?"

And the most troublesome thing was that Kiriha's behavior and belief were extremely correct.

If it had just been someone who was trying to force their way in, it would have been much easier for Koutarou.

"I'll make you agree. We have plenty of time."

Kiriha pressed her ample chest against Koutarou and looked up at him provocatively.

"Wh-wha!?"

Between her suspicious expression and the sensation of her large, soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s, Koutarou unintentionally jumped back. His heart started beating intensely.

"We have endured a millennium underground."

"Wh-what about it?

"Fufufu, it means we have waited for 1000 years. But how long will you endure? Six months? A year? I'll do anything to make you nod your head."

Kiriha nonchalantly blew Koutarou a kiss.

"Ugh..."

Kurano Kiriha. The mysterious girl who came from underground.

A tough opponent appears.

For Koutarou, she was the strongest enemy right now.

"What's with that! Showing off her large chest! And Koutarou too! Blus.h.i.+ng at that obvious s.e.x appeal!"

Sanae had peeked into the hallway to observe the situation, and she was furious.

Sanae wanted to chase Koutarou out.

But she had a strong dislike for Kiriha's method, which she herself was unable to use.

"If you hand the room over for something like that I'll never forgive you!"

Because of that, Sanae did not want Koutarou to be chased out by Kiriha. She had long forgotten her original goal.

"E-excuse me..."

A person began talking to Sanae.

"What!?"

"Hiii! So-sorry, so sorry, I was in the wrong!"

The voice belonged to Yurika, who had just woken up.

Frightened by Sanae's att.i.tude, she began to cry.

"It was just on impulse! I just wanted to know what was going on!"

"...Oh yeah, you were here too."

"Nooooo! My very existence has been forgotten!"

"You're being very annoying at this important time... Just stop crying already... Geez."

Sanae, who had been floating in the air, landed in front of Yurika with a tired expression on her face. Reluctantly, she began explaining the situation.

"That woman came from underneath the tatami mat, and while leaving me out of it, she's trying to take control of this room. She said something about the underground people invading the surface and using this room as their base."

"Un-underground people!? Really!?"

"There's no need to be surprised about people living under the ground, right? Compared to you, she is a proper person."

"You're wrong! That's prejudice! Why won't you believe me!? Even though you believe in underground people invading the surface!?"

"How about you touch your chest and ask yourself that instead!"

"Chest...? Do you mean her big b.r.e.a.s.t.s are the reason?"

After looking down on her own chest, Yurika looked at Kiriha and Sanae and revealed a relieved smile.

She was happy she wasn't in last place.

"...Just mention b.r.e.a.s.t.s again. You won't see the sunrise tomorrow."

"Kyaaa! So-sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

Hearing Sanae's threats, the frightened Yurika ran for the wardrobe and closed its sliding door in a hurry.

"...Everything's become such a mess."

In the beginning, all she had to do was chase out Koutarou.

However, the situation began to develop in an unexpected direction.

"Anyways, Koutarou, if you fall for that woman's tricks you'll regret it!"

Unexpected feelings began budding in her small chest.

Unaware of that, Sanae ground her teeth as she watched Koutarou and Kiriha's interactions.

Having finished laying out the dishes for supper, Koutarou's stomach growled.

"Finally, dinner..."

It was now almost 10PM. It was only natural for his stomach to be growling.

"I apologize, Koutarou. For my sake..."

One of the reasons for the delay in dinner, Kiriha, took a seat to the right of Koutarou.

"If that's what you think, then get out."

"I can't do that... By the way, Koutarou, why not share a meal with me?"

Laid out in front of Kiriha were stir-fried vegetables, meat, rice and miso soup.

"I don't accept debts. I especially can't afford to be careless around you."

"Fufufu, you sure are earnest. It seems I'll have to start breaking you down from there."

Koutarou was sharing dinner with Kiriha because she had helped make it.

"That woman only helped, so you would leave this room? There's no debt to be repaid; if anything, it's the opposite."

Sitting in front of Koutarou was a dissatisfied Sanae. She did not like Koutarou and Kiriha getting along.

"That's not true. I only wish to deepen our friends.h.i.+p -"

"Hmph, we'll see."

There was no dinner in front of Sanae. Ghosts can't eat anything, after all.

"That looks so much better than cup noodles..."

Said Yurika as she poured hot water from the kettle into her cup noodles.

Despite the high cost of living, the noodles could be bought for a bargain price of 98 yen.

The sad figure of Yurika could move you to tears.

"...Do you want some too?"

"Eh!?"

Because of that, Koutarou felt a little merciful.

"W-would that be alright?"

"Yu-Yurika! The water! The water! It's overflowing!"

"Kyaaa! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Distracted by Koutarou's offer, Yurika had not paid attention to her pouring, and the hot water had spilled out of her cup noodles.

Yurika put the kettle down on the tea table and hurriedly wiped up the hot water with a dishcloth.

"...You're a helpless person, aren't you..."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I'm clumsy and a blockhead!"

"That doesn't matter... But what about dinner; will you eat too?"

"You'll still share with me after what I just did!?"

The half-crying Yurika's expression brightened, and she sped up her hands wiping up the water.

"Yeah, you can have some."

"Thank you very much!"

"No need to say thanks. But in return, you have to get out after you eat."

Hearing that, Yurika's smile froze and her hands stopped.

"I-I can't leave, so I'll eat the cup noodles..."

Yurika's shoulders slumped with disappointment.

However, like a child, Yurika kept staring at the meal in front of Koutarou.

"...It seems like she's regretting her decision."

"There's no need to hold it in. You can eat your fill and then get out."

"Aaaaaaaa..."

Yurika swallowed her saliva.

"No, Yurika! You can't lose to this temptation! Yurika Fight!"

Yurika desperately tried to persuade herself, but the smell of the delicious food continued to tempt her.

She had been eating nothing but cup noodles for a while now, and the temptation was unbearable.

As such, Yurika kept staring at Koutarou's meal, almost drooling.

"Just let it go, Yurika. All you have to do is get out of this room."

"A-aaaaaa! The rice! The miso soup is calling me! So cruel, this torture is too much!"

Yurika's stomach growled loudly. Her body seemed to have already given in to the temptation.

"...Dinner..."

While watching Koutarou and Yurika going back and forth, Sanae examined the other three's meals.

"I haven't eaten in years..."

"What's wrong, Sanae?"

Koutarou felt something was off about Sanae, but she did not answer him right away.

She began talking only after several seconds had pa.s.sed.

"...Hey, Koutarou and Yurika... Either one of you is fine, but..."

"What?"

"Ye-Yes, What is it?"

Koutarou answered nonchalantly whilst Yurika answered nervously.

"Could I possess you?"

Sanae's next words were unexpected.

"Possess?"

Even so, what was more unexpected to Koutarou was Sanae's serious att.i.tude.

That's why Koutarou wasn't surprised and wanted her to explain herself in greater detail.

"Noooooooooooo!!"

Yurika, however, did not share Koutarou's feelings at all.

"I don't want to be possessed by a ghost no matter what! If you're going to possess someone, let it be Satomi-kun, please!!"

Yurika left her cup noodles where they were, hurriedly jumped into the wardrobe, and closed the sliding door.

"Well you see, I'm a ghost, right?"

"Yeah."

Koutarou and Sanae no longer expected anything from Yurika, so they continued their conversation as though nothing had happened.

"Because of that, I can't eat stuff, right?"

"That's right. Offerings would be as close as possible."

"But if I possess someone, I can taste what that person eats."

"Sanae, that method would work better if you possessed someone with the same wavelength as you. Wouldn't it be better to possess me or Yurika instead?"

Kiriha, who had just been looking on, began to speak.

"That's true, but Yurika's like that, and Kiriha, I refuse to do it with you!"

"Why?"

"If I become indebted to someone like you, I know I'll regret it!"

"...Well aren't I hated..."

Kiriha smiled bitterly at Sanae.

"That's how it is, so Koutarou, please!"

"What's in it for me, then? Besides, I won't let you just possess me and then get rid of me."

Sanae put her hands together and lowered her head.

"Please! I won't get rid of you! I just want to be able to taste food again!"

"...Really?"

"Yes!"

Sanae looked up and nodded repeatedly.

"The only thing I need you to endure is sore shoulders."

"Sore?... Don't say such things to the person you're about to possess."

"And if you let me possess you when you're eating I wouldn't mind a truce! That's okay, right!? If your shoulders get stiff I'll give you a ma.s.sage!"

"A truce..."

That was an attractive proposition to Koutarou.

It'd mean the amount of people he'd have to chase out would be reduced to two, and the most aggressive, Sanae, would remain calm.

And all I have to do is endure stiff shoulders?... Alright.

"Alright, I'll accept those conditions."

"Really!?"

"Yeah, come on. I'm ready."

Koutarou tapped his own shoulders as he said that.

"Yeah!"

Sanae then suddenly jumped at Koutarou.

"Uwa!?"

"Thanks, Koutarou!"

Even if you call her a ghost, it's almost like she's a child.... Well, I guess she is a child.

That is what Koutarou felt as he looked at Sanae.

At that moment, the wardrobe door slid open, and Yurika's red face appeared from inside.

Yurika silently returned to the tea table.

She felt that the situation had calmed down, but was ashamed of her own behavior.

"So Sanae, all I have to do is eat like normal?"

"Yes! Just wait a minute; I'll possess you now!"

However, neither Koutarou nor Sanae paid any attention to Yurika at all.

And Kiriha, who was watching the two, paid no mind to Yurika either.

It was at about this time that Yurika would usually start complaining, but thankfully, that was not the case this time.

"Ei!"

Sanae spun around over to Koutarou's back and clung to him with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Go ahead, Koutarou."

"This is what possession is like? It's quite different from what I had imagined..."

Koutarou could feel Sanae's small body on his back.

It was warm, and he could feel her breathing next to his ear.

She was weak to fortune goods, could pa.s.s through walls and use Poltergeist Attacks.

There was no doubt that she was a ghost, but Koutarou had gradually stopped thinking of Sanae as just a ghost.

"Yes! Eat up, Koutarou!"

Sanae, on the other hand, was in a very cheerful mood.

"Alright, Let's eat."

"Yes, Go ahead... I guess that's not my line."

"Hahaha, What does it matter"

Koutarou began eating while carrying Sanae on his back.

I wonder why...?

Strangely enough, Koutarou didn't feel anything negative towards Sanae at that moment.

"Ah, Koutarou, this one's delicious!"

"I am honored you would praise me."

"Kiriha made that one."

"Hee~ Your clothes might be strange, but it seems you can cook at least... The taste is a bit strong, though."

"Is that so?"

"It's bad for your body."

"Look, Koutarou, even Sanae is saying it. Starting tomorrow, we'll make the taste weaker."

"Hmph..."

Kiriha joined in, and they continued eating happily.

"...That looks delicious..."

Yurika looked on regretfully.

"And compared to that, I'm eating cup noodles..."

Yurika watched with a sad expression on her face as she gently peeled open the lid of her cup noodles.

The fragrance of synthetic seasoning rose up from the cup.

"Ah..."

Disappointed by the smell, Yurika's hand twitched and the tore the lid off halfway.

Yurika attempted to peel off the torn portion, but some of the lid remained, and the overall appearance of the cup worsened.

"...Today has just been terrible… "

As she said this, her disposable chopsticks broke, and the left and right chopsticks took on different shapes.

"Koutarou! Miso soup! Miso soup!"

"I got it, so just calm down a little."

"It's hot, so be careful, Koutarou."

While watching the three enjoying themselves, Yurika's chopsticks reached out for the cup noodles.

"Why is it always me..."

Grieving by herself, Yurika slurped up her cup noodles.

"They're even soggy..."

The 98 yen noodles tasted slightly saltier than normal.

"Well then, now that we've eaten, let's return to the original subject."

"Original subject?"

Kiriha asked as she poured some after-meal tea.

"The subject of throwing you out!"

Sanae laughed at Kiriha while resting her chin on Koutarou's shoulder.

"Sanae, you want to keep living here, so you're chasing out everyone else, correct?"

"Yes. Well, we have a truce at the moment."

"Right, and Kiriha-san, you want this room so you can rebuild your altar."

"That's right."

"And Yurika, you want to hold a cosplay party with your friends here."

"You're wrong!"

"And I live here, so I don't want to move out. And I won't find someplace with rent as cheap as 5,000 yen anywhere else. Besides, if I just hand this room over, there will be various inconveniences."

If Koutarou moved out, the rumors of the ghost would just spread further.

Or there would be an invasion or cosplay parties held daily.

As s.h.i.+zuka's friend, Koutarou wanted to prevent that at any cost.

I understand why this place is so valuable to her.

"Please listen to me! There really is danger approaching!"

"And not everyone wants to fight it out... Even though I'm good in a fistfight."

"It is not my purpose to harm people."

"We are currently in a truce, after all."

"I won't be holding any cosplay parties!"

"And none of us have any intention of backing down."

"Of course."

"This is my home!"

"It's dangerous! Please, everyone get out as fast as you can!"

"With that being said, Koutarou, we must resolve this somehow. Aside from the prolonged negotiation with you, there are two others after this room. At this rate, our progress will grind to a halt. It's obvious we will never come to an understanding, so we must solve this in a way everyone can agree with."

"Yes, that's right... But that method is..."

Koutarou agreed with Kiriha and looked around.

If only Mackenzie was here at a time like this.

For Koutarou, who was more action than words, there had been no time where he had wanted to borrow Kenji's wisdom more than right then.

But on the other hand, he couldn't just call the cops.

If he started talking about ghosts, underground people, and cosplayers, they would just think that he had lost his mind.

He was unable to rely on outsiders.

"Please listen! I just can't accept this! Why won't you believe me!? The magic power gathering here is dangerous!"

"Does anyone have any good ideas? A method that everyone would agree to..."

"That's a tough one..."

"Hmm... a fair method... Hey, Koutarou, what about this? We play some kind of game, and the loser has to leave."

"Like I said, I can't accept this! Please listen to me!"

"To decide this fairly with a game is a good idea. If you look back upon history, there are many examples of competing over territory using games."

"Wait just a second! I don't want this kind of important thing to be decided by a game!"

Kiriha was...o...b..ard with Sanae's idea, but the same could not be said for Koutarou.

The reason was simply because Kiriha was smart and Koutarou was not.

"Koutarou, would you rather have us. .h.i.t each other or continue an endless discussion?"

"A fistfight... Discussions..."

Koutarou gave up the idea of a fistfight after looking at Sanae and Kiriha.

And looking at Yurika, he gave up on having a discussion.

"Ku, it looks like there's no other way..."

Although they had fought on the day they met, for some reason Koutarou did not want to hit Sanae now.

The religious tools he had gotten from s.h.i.+zuka were all still in their box.

He was at a loss as to whether what Kiriha was saying was rational or unreasonable.

And he didn't think reason or discussion would get anywhere with Yurika.

"A game... A game, huh..."

Koutarou's shoulders slumped for a moment, but he soon recollected himself and looked at Sanae.

"Alright, Sanae, if we were to play a game, what would it be?"

"How about an easy one like rock-paper-scissors?"

Sanae put up a finger and slightly tilted her head.

But Kiriha shook her head at the proposal.

"Rock-paper-scissors would be bad. It's too simple, and luck would play far too great a part. For everyone to agree, we will need a game where a person's ability will be the focus."

"That said, we can't use shougi or chess, can we? There are merits and demerits."

"I haven't played either."

"A game even a beginner would be able to play and that contains an element of luck, but where player skill would come out on top after playing several times.... It's a cla.s.sic, but what about card games?"

"Card games... like Trump?"

"It wouldn't have to be limited to just Trump, though."

"I'm fine with that. I've played a lot with Mom and Dad."

"...Fine… Call it cosplay or whatever you like... If you'll get out anything is fine..."

Koutarou looked at the three and took a big breath.

"...Alright. It seems we've all agreed, so let's go with that. My room is on the line, and I wanna get through with this ridiculous thing as soon as possible."

Koutarou couldn't hit the smiling Sanae, who still clung to his back.

He was unable to persuade Yurika.

And he didn't have any confidence that he'd be able to endure Kiriha's plotting for much longer.

Koutarou had no choice to but to go with this.

"No objections. So, Koutarou, what kind of card games will we play?"

"Let's see..."

"Koutarou, how about the four of us take turns picking the game? That way it'll be fair."

"In that case, we'll need to add points for the placings."

"Indeed. At the very least, it needs to continue for everyone to get a turn."

"Uuuu! After all, no one listens to my opinions."

"Hey Koutarou, the two of us have a truce, so we should work together. It'll be easier that way, and after we're done, we just need to talk it out."

"You're on. If I play normally I'll probably just lose to Kiriha."

"Kiriha-san, those two are teaming up..."

"That's the kind of thing that usually happens in territory disputes. Fufufu, it looks like I can't let my guard down. Shall the two of us work together to defeat them?"

"Y-Yes please!"

Like that, the games to determine the owners.h.i.+p of the room began.