Is It Tough Being A Friend - Volume 6

Table of Contents
1. Illustration
2. Prologue
3. Chapter 1: Cultural Ceasefire
4. Chapter 2: Welcome, Host
5. Chapter 3: Invitation to the Festival, and Peculiarities
6. Chapter 4: Apostle Collection
7. Epilogue
Prologue
My presence in “Hinomori Ryuuga’s Story of Supernatural Battles” is

steering off course at unprecedented levels.
Perhaps one would retort with “No, it’s been that way from the beginning,”
but even so, I’ve managed to keep up appearances until now.
Part one was the Hundun arc, part two was the Taotie arc, each dealing with
an “Evil Spirit.”
Aogasaki Rei’s and Elmira McCartney’s individual episodes were also added
as interludes.
With a refocus in the storyline after all the sidetracking, we’ve come to the
present. However…
(Part three is getting pretty chaotic. The story’s already beyond my control
and is now rolling down a hill…like a rice ball.)TLNThis seems to be a
reference to “Omusubi Kororin,” a Japanese folktale about a rice ball rolling
down a hill and into a hole.
If things had gone well, part three should have been the Qiongqi arc.
However, the series’ composition had gone awry.
The final “Evil Spirit,” Taowu had resurrected early and became part of the
story. Furthermore, one of the main characters, Yukimiya Shiori, was the
vessel.
That by itself would have been fine. Well, not really, but I think I would have
managed somehow.
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I would have just changed part three into the Taowu arc…or at least I
thought, but a transfer student put a stop to that. With this new character,
Qiongqi became more prominent.
(To think that there would be a double booking of final bosses…that would
be like having a match with FC Barcelona before having to deal with Real
Madrid mid-game as well.)TLNFC Barcelona and Real Madrid seem to be
Spanish soccer clubs.
The problem was that the “Evil Spirit” Taowu, also known as Tao, had
already mended her ways. Furthermore, she was extremely inelegant.
I thought the mysterious transfer student, Tenryouin Agito, was the

protagonist of another story, but it turned out that he was the “Evil Spirit”
Qiongqi’s vessel.
Furthermore, Yukimiya’s butler, Sebastian, was actually an apostle general

and Tao’s close associate, Renie. He’s also suspected of working with
Qiongqi.
Not only that, but the protagonist’s mere friend character, Kobayashi Ichirou,
was the one involved in all of these secretive affairs.
In addition to combining Qiongqi’s and Taowu’s arcs, there was also

Yukimiya Shiori’s individual episode. Well, the most worrying thing in the
end is “the matter of me.”
(I already have a headache just summarizing what happened so far…if I was

part of the audience, this would be the point where I stop watching. I would
go watch a ‘light slice of life show.’)
I walked along the road near the train station while looking up at the sky in
gloom.
I was the only pedestrian on the sidewalk, so despite not looking ahead of
me, I wasn’t worried about bumping into anyone. It’s no surprise that’s the
case since it’s a little before 10 am…everyone’s already at work or school.

Second period class should begin right about now. Everyone’s studying hard.
(That reminds me, the school festival’s in one week, isn’t it? My class is
going to do a maid cafe, but…I have no motivation for this school event.)
I was thinking to myself when my mobile phone suddenly received a

message. When I took out my phone to check, the sender was our
protagonist, Ryuuga.
‘To Ichirou. We all went to Shiori’s house, but unfortunately, we couldn’t

meet her. In fact, Shiori herself declined it.’
Last night, Ryuuga and the other main characters fought Tao at the cemetery.
It started when Shima and Saihiru of “Hell’s Top Eight,” two apostle generals
serving Qiongqi, attacked Yukimiya. When Ryuuga and the others rushed
over, they treated Tao as an enemy and attacked her.
Then Mion, Jyuri, and Kiki, the freeloading “Three Princesses of Hell,”
barged in to protect Tao, turning the whole thing into a chaotic three-way
struggle.
(Ryuga’s team and the three princesses were even opening up to each other
prior to this happening…but thankfully, I told Elmira about our side of the
story…)
Ryuuga’s faction, knowing that Yukimiya is the “Evil Spirit” Taowu’s

vessel, were naturally shocked and worried.
So they decided to visit the Yukimiya residence first thing in the morning.
Just like me, they skipped school.
‘We were determined to meet her, but…then Shiori sent a message. She
knows what’s going on with her. She told us to leave the matter of Taowu to
her. It seems that she doesn’t intend to make any immediate movements and
is willing to talk.’
Yukimiya’s response was what I expected it to be.

Until Yukimiya can ‘convert’ Tao…that is, keep her under control, that
“Inelegant Evil Spirit” probably shouldn’t take center stage in the story.
Last night, I had Yukimiya agree to that.
As for Tao, it should be possible to adjust her screentime. However, Qiongqi

and Agito won’t care about these circumstances.
In that case, Ryuuga and the others should prepare for Qiongqi…that’s my
judgement.
‘We can talk about this in detail at school. Are you alright, Ichirou? Is your
stomach okay now? Recently, your stomach has been pretty unwell.’
I sent a reply saying ‘I’m fine. I’m heading to school now too,’ and closed
my phone.
Of course, my stomach ache was a straight-up lie. This morning, I had an

appointment with Agito, so I couldn’t accompany Ryuuga and the others on
their visit.
That’s right. I entered the enemy’s stronghold alone.
That’s where I had a discussion with Agito, or rather Qiongqi, about our
“views for this story.”
It’s not something a mere friend character would do, but I had no choice
since I was personally called out to. I also play the role of the “story planner”
in this tale.
(As for the results, we failed to reach an agreement, but…now that I think
about it, I forgot to ask about the apostle amalgamation monsters, didn’t
I…?)
Mysterious monsters have appeared twice so far and were killed both times.
I’m fairly certain that’s Qiongqi’s doing, but I have no solid evidence for it
right now.
(What if it’s a new enemy force that has nothing to do with Qiongqi…? I’m

at a loss. The rice ball that is this story could roll down to rock bottom.)
I looked up at the sky again while sighing deeply.
I recalled the conversation I had with the “Evil Spirit” Qiongqi not too long
ago.

Chapter 1: Cultural Ceasefire

Part 1
It was only ten minutes ago.
I was on the top floor of a luxury apartment, which was Tenryouin Agito’s
home and Qiongqi’s hideout.
It was a large room with a glass wall, similar to a president’s office. Since it
was the fifteenth floor, the view was quite superb. With a view that high up,
humans below would probably seem like ants.
“Yo, Kobayashi boy. It’s been a while since we’ve talked on the phone. Did
you enjoy yourself last night? I was trying to have Hinomori Ryuuga and Tao
meet each other.”
Agito, sitting on the desk, spoke those words to me. However, they were not
spoken in his voice.
The one speaking was the “Evil Spirit” dwelling inside him…the ringleader
who invited me here, Qiongqi.
“Why would I enjoy myself? You didn’t need to do that…I have my own
plans.”
While answering in irritation, I sipped some coffee.
Contrary to my expectations, it tasted fine. That wild kuro gyaru did a good
job making it.
Her name’s Banshou Shima. She’s the guitarist in Agito’s band and a cheetah
apostle general. It turned out that she was a resident of this apartment
building as well.
“Ahaha. You’ll have to adopt some of my plans then. Let’s liven up this story

together.”
Despite Qiongqi’s talkativeness, Agito looked downwards while

expressionless. On closer inspection, he was reading. Despite being an “Evil
Spirit’s” vessel, he had little motivation.
Not minding his host’s behavior, Qiongqi continued chatting with a high-
pitched, child-like voice.
“With this, Hinomori’s faction and the three princesses have returned to
being hostile. I wish one of them had died back at the cemetery though.”
“So you really did anticipate the three princesses intervening? Is that what
you’re up to? Are you trying to weaken our fighting strength?”
“Yep. Anyways, I’m glad that the estrangement tactic worked. The one who
proposed it was Renie, not me though.”
So Sebastian really did plan this. Quite bold of him to rebel as both Tao’s
subordinate and Yukimiya’s butler.
However, Elmira should be able to mediate between Ryuuga’s faction and

the three princesses. There’s no reason for me to say that to the enemy
though.
“Hey, Qiongqi. Was Renie also the one who told you about Tao’s revival?”
“Well I must admit, I once saw Renie driving a car. Since then, I had Saihiru
search for him. After all, Renie used to be Tao’s representative. We offered
an alliance with Tao. Something to oppose the ‘Tie and Dun alliance.'”
That spider butler agreed?
But we established a good relationship between Yukimiya and Tao…they

even began to exchange a diary…he’s gone too far.
“Surprisingly, Renie was quick to comply, albeit anticlimactically. We agreed

that once we destroy the human world, we would give half of it to Tao.”

That kind of proposal from the final boss would almost certainly lead to
betrayal…I once got a similar proposal in a game, selected “yes,” and had a
terrible playthrough.
“Well actually, I’m confident that I can win without needing an alliance.
However, it would be much easier with Renie as a companion.”
“How would that make it easier?”
“Not saying~.”
“Stop trying to act cute. Don’t go around thinking that you’ll get fans from
doing that.”
I felt a bit irritated at this easygoing “Shota Evil Spirit.”
I’m definitely not good with this guy. This brat’s currently second place in
my “list of people I want to punch if I got the chance to.” Kurogame still
takes first place.
Despite our conversation, Agito continued silently reading.
At least have some interest in us. This is a serious conversation about the
storyline.
“You’re too cruel, Kobayashi boy. I’m sure I’ll be a final boss who performs
beyond your expectations, you know? I’m the only ‘Evil Spirit’ who can
enliven this story to the maximum degree.”
“Then do you plan on losing at the end? The final boss loses to the
protagonist.”
“I wonder about that. Aren’t there episodes where the protagonist loses? Of
course, the protagonist I’m referring to──is you.”
Qiongqi’s tone of voice sounded slightly provocative.
…In the past, this guy brashly told me that I can’t “play the supporting role”
and that I’ve “taken the position of the protagonist away. Away from

Hinomori Ryuuga.”
Like me, he sees this world as a “story.” It seems that he also has his own
peculiar idea for how the story should go.
This is a good opportunity. I should make myself clear here.
“The protagonist of this story is Hinomori Ryuuga. I do not want to be on the

front stage at all.”
“Say, Kobayashi boy. Do you really think that you can be a ‘friend character’
at this rate? No matter how you look at it, you’re the protagonist of this battle
story. Much more than Hinomori Ryuuga.”
“T, that’s only because you’ve been looking at the backstage. If you look at
the main story, the protagonist is definitely Ryuga…”
“You have two ‘Evil Spirits’ inside your body, the ‘Three Princesses of Hell’
live with you, and on top of that, you’re the secret father of an apostle baby
with the capacity to be a general…looking at the main story, you’re definitely
at the center of the it.”
“Pay mind to people’s worries! Cushion the blow a bit!”
The “Shota Evil Spirit” crackled when I suddenly raised my voice.
“I want to make a ‘battle between Kobayashi Ichirou and Tenryouin Agito’

the main part of this story.”
“H, huh?”
“I mean, why not? It’s obvious that you and Agito are the strongest
characters in this story. Imagine a great war of peculiarities between ‘Evil
Spirits’…enticing, isn’t it?”
“What about Ryuga?!”
“Nope. She’s a girl. To put it bluntly, she’s not fit for being the protagonist.”

The moment I heard that, I felt my blood boil.
“She can at least serve as a prize in the battle between you and──”
*Bang!*
Before Qiongqi could finish speaking, I smashed the table in front of me.
Agito finally looked up and quietly stared at us. While the “Evil Spirit” inside
him stared back, I spoke in a voice filled with anger and bloodlust.
“You have no right to make that call, you small fry.”
Before long, I regained my senses, surprised by the voice that I didn’t think
could come out of me.
…Not good. I lost my temper from Ryuuga being mistreated. I accidentally

let out bloodlust as a friend character. I ended up blurting out a cool line.
“You surprised me. Is that your true self, Kobayashi?”
“I’m more surprised that you could smash a table bare-handed. This is
marble, isn’t it?”
Agito’s and Qiongqi’s remarks of astonishment left me flustered. I

immediately shook my head and swung my arms, attempting to laugh it off.
“I, I was just bluffing! I just wanted to try saying that! Really Agito, did you
fall for that?”
“Bluff or not, you actually demolished the table. A table worth 800,000.”
“Please! Pretend that was styrofoam! I’ll take out a ten-year loan to reimburse
you!”
“I don’t need reimbursement. It’s nothing to me. More importantly, your true
nature just now──”
“Oh look at the time, I need to offer my prayers! Breasts! Breasts!”

Dodging Agito’s questions, I offered a dance to the god of breasts.
Agito pinched his forehead, watching me continue my desperate dance. From

inside him, Qiongqi spoke in a surprised voice.
“I don’t think it’s possible to gloss over it anymore…or rather, will that really
convince anyone?”
“Shut up! I didn’t do anything! The table breaking was a result of the breast
god’s divine protection!”
“Even if we believe that, you still broke marble.”
“Guh…breasts, breasts!”
“That’s enough. I get it.”
Fed up, Qiongqi returned to the conversation.
It seems I was able to dodge the question somehow. I hope he at least

somewhat understood that I’m not fit for being the protagonist…
“Well then, Kobayashi boy. Let’s get down to business, shall we? Of course,
I wanted to talk with you, but the main reason for calling you here is that I
wanted to make an offer.”
“An offer?”
What kind of offer? A date for our duel? A demand for Tao to withdraw? Or
perhaps some sweet words to offer me a third of the world?
In any case, I’m not willing to accept an offer from him. Not from the guy
who treated Ryuuga like a fool.
“Perhaps this is sudden, but how about a week-long ceasefire?”
“…Huh?”
His surprisingly peaceful offer left me bewildered.

The giant fan on the ceiling continued to slowly spin. Its shape was as
incomprehensible as Qiongqi’s offer.
“A week-long ceasefire?”
“Yep. Agito insists on it. You see, I do occasionally have to listen to my

faithful marionette’s requests.”
“Not that it matters, but what does that mean?”
When I tried to ask for his true motives, Qiongqi suddenly yawned.
“I’m getting sleepy for some reason. Well then, you know where to find me.”
“Hey, wait! Explain yourself! I’m supposed to be your guest!”
“You should know, right? An ‘Evil Spirit’ spends more than half of the day
sleeping inside the host.”
Come to think of it, that sounds about right.
Even now, Taotie and Hundun aren’t waking up, likely because they’re
sleeping. They were also playing a competitive game until dawn.
“Take care of yourself. Consider becoming the protagonist. See you later,
Kobayashi boy──”
Not paying mind to me, Qiongqi fell asleep.
Despite trying to call out to him, shaking Agito’s shoulders, knocking on

Agito’s forehead, and grabbing Agito’s neck, there was no response.
“Kobayashi, perhaps I should have you pay for the table.”
“…Please pardon me. We’re fellow ‘Evil Spirit’ vessel buddies.”
Thereafter, I left Agito’s apartment as if to flee.
Flee from the “Hell House” where around one hundred and fifty apostles

lived.

Part 2
──And that’s the full story of my act with the “Evil Spirit” Qiongqi.
I can’t understand why he wants a somewhat short ceasefire. Though, if that

means “Qiongqi won’t do anything in the meantime,” then that’s very
reassuring.
(I’d like some time to figure out future measures.)
For the time being, I should work with Elmira to clear things up with Ryuuga
and the others. That is, clear up anything about Tao and the three princesses.
At the same time, I need to track down Renie and ask why he contacted
Qiongqi without telling anyone.
While I was pondering to myself, I suddenly felt the presence of something

ferociously rushing up from behind.
“!”
Before I could turn around, I heard the sounds of slashing in the air. The
attacker sent a kick.
(Agito?!)
I noticed the identity of the person while purposely taking a blow to my rear.
A sharp pain assaulted my bottom and I fell over.
“Gaaaaah!”
I screamed while rolling around in an exaggerated manner. I bounced off of

the ground, hit a utility pole, and tumbled into a nearby convenience store.

A few seconds later, I bought two canned coffees and left the store as if all
was normal.
“Oh, I don’t need a receipt…what are you doing, Agito?! Don’t force me to
make pointless purchases!”
After hitting me, Agito sent me a very confused look. I appreciate that he
waited for me, but I don’t appreciate the surprise roundhouse kick.
“Again with the surreal reactions…I didn’t even kick you that hard.”
“Liar! I thought you would shatter my behind! Now we’re even on the table!”
When I tried to once again avoid reimbursing him, Agito replied with “I
don’t care about that anymore,” in a fed up manner.
Now that I had a closer look, he had his school bag with him. His uniform
was still the same, the one from his previous high school, Hakubou Private.
With a pure white uniform like that, he probably can’t eat curry udon.
“Kobayashi, Why didn’t you dodge that? You obviously noticed my

presence…you should be capable of dealing with it.”
He’s right, but that was my best method of dealing with it.
A mere friend character wouldn’t dodge or defend. They would take the
attack. That being said, I didn’t want to get hurt.
That’s why I took the attack on the body part I thought would receive the
least damage. I also decided to fall over to create some laughs.
This is who Kobayashi Ichirou is──remember it, Tenryouin Agito. Also, at

least laugh a bit. I took the fall, so now you should laugh. At least let out a
snicker.
“What do you want now, Agito? For your information, I don’t want to get
involved with you anymore. Since you’re Qiongqi’s vessel, you’re a key
person in the story.”

I threw a can of coffee at Agito and walked away.
Annoyingly, he walked alongside me. Now I’m the one being followed…our
roles have reversed.
“Hey, stop following me.”
“You’re going to school, right? I am too. We’re in the same school and same
class, so it wouldn’t be strange for us to be together.”
“I’m a friend character, you know? You think I can be on good terms with
someone who works for the final boss? I said it before, I don’t want to be on
the front stage.”
“Never mind that. Qiongqi is sleeping inside me now. Currently, we’re just
two students going to Oumei High School…to state it in your terms, we’re in
‘the backstage of the story.'”
I feel like that’s a pretty forced excuse, but whatever.
I had something I wanted to ask him anyways. If we’re backstage, then I’ll
take advantage of that. We’re off-the-record right now.
“Agito, you’ve…’converted’ Qiongqi, didn’t you?”
That’s the first thing on my mind.
Unlike Yukimiya, he isn’t under the control of the “Evil Spirit.”
Basically, an “Evil Spirit’s” human vessel will get their mind and body taken
over. When the “Evil Spirit” manifests, they will undergo a trance-like state
and won’t have any memory of the event.
However, just a bit ago, Agito was reading a book despite Qiongqi coming
out. He even participated in the conversation.
(There can’t be any other explanation. Like me, he’s gained control over the
‘Evil Spirit.’)

It’s likely that Qiongqi could make an appearance whenever he likes. Just
like Taotie and Hundun.
“You should be capable of turning the tables on the ‘Evil Spirit.’ However,
Qiongqi called you a ‘faithful marionette.’ Why are doing whatever
Qiongqi’s telling you to?”
“I want to see it──the end of humanity.”
After taking a sip from his canned coffee, Agito said that in his usual lifeless
tone.
“If I see that spectacle, I feel that I could write the best composition.”
“C, composition? That’s what you’re destroying humanity for?”
“You have no appreciation for the arts. Playing a requiem for humanity is my
ultimate dream…I will happily be a tool if it means that Qiongqi can
accomplish it.”
This guy really wishes for destruction?
That does make for a solid enemy character, but personally, it seems to be
treading on a specific type. That is, a simple villain made easily
understandable for younger audiences.
“Alright Agito, I can work with that motive. That reminds me, you’re always
alone in class, aren’t you? Is that also part of your role?”
“Unlike you, I’m not playing a role. My desire for humanity’s destruction is
genuine. Though now…my mind has changed a little. The girl named
Hinomori Ryuuga is the cause of that.”
“R, Ryuga?”
What does Ryuuga have to do with this? I know he was fixated on her, but
wasn’t that just a strategic move?
“Kobayashi, there is one thing you’re misunderstanding. My love for

Hinomori is genuine. That’s why I went all the way to Oumei High School.”
That’s an issue.
If he’s aggressively trying to get involved with Ryuuga and he’s particular
about her gender, then is he actually in love?
(If he went as far as to transfer schools…then he’s quite the stalker despite
being an ikemen…)
While I wasn’t sure how to respond, Agito sipped his coffee again.
Now that I think about, we already drank coffee back at his apartment.
Should I have bought black or green tea instead? Now I feel bad for making
the wrong choice.
“Qiongqi opposed my transfer to Oumei High School. He didn’t value

Hinomori’s presence in the story. I suppose he didn’t want me to get involved
with her.”
So that “Evil Spirit” really doesn’t acknowledge Ryuuga as the protagonist?
He wants to switch the story’s main focus to a battle between Agito and me?
(We really aren’t compatible. What a sloppy plot he’s brewing…)
His script is way too poor. It would be like ignoring Spectacle Man and
having a battle between the monsters. Only the bobbed-haired girl at my
house would like it.
“I have no interest in the ‘story’ that Qiongqi wants to paint. However, I do

approve of taking Hinomori off of the battlefield.”
“Don’t joke about that. That’s the one thing you shouldn’t touch.”
Agito stared at me while I openly showed a displeased face.
He had a look of scorn that he would never show to other classmates. This
guy only shows his emotions when Ryuuga’s involved. A glimpse of his

humanity.
“Kobayashi, do you not feel anything? You’re forcing Hinomori, a woman,

to fight.”
“Um…”
“I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with being a ‘friend character.’ I

don’t want to understand either. However, while you hold great power,
you’re letting Hinomori get hurt for the sake of your own ego. You’re
exposing such a helpless girl to danger.”
“T, that’s not true.”
“I will be frank. You──are not qualified to be beside Hinomori Ryuuga.”
…I was at a loss for words.
Agito had a point.
I refused to play an active role in any battle scene. I would wait for Ryuuga to
arrive and let her do the fighting.
Sometimes she would get hurt, but I would only send out a worried yell. I
reassured myself by remembering Ryuuga’s healing abilities.
(Ryuga doesn’t like to fight. She has a fairly normal personality for a girl. If
it wasn’t for the Hinomori household’s fate, she would be enjoying her life as
a normal schoolgirl…she wouldn’t wear a sarashi around her E-cup.)
However, I’ve tried to make Ryuuga a man. While being in the position of
her “semi-boyfriend,” I made a wish at a shrine to see if she would grow a
male member.
(Am I really…Hinomori Ryuuga’s ‘friend’?)
Agito continued speaking while I remain frozen like a Jizo statue.
“I am not like you. I love Hinomori for being a woman. I want to be a ‘lover

character,’ not a ‘friend character.’ That’s why I requested a week-long
ceasefire.”
Come to think of it, I remember hearing that the ceasefire was Agito’s wish.
Though I felt beaten down, I needed ask for his reasoning. Now’s not the
time for self-loathing. That can come later.
“Is the ceasefire related to Ryuga?”
“That’s right. You probably have a guess already…it’s because of the school
festival.”
“I couldn’t have guessed that!”
Before I knew it, I retorted to him. I wasn’t in the right mood to retort, but I
couldn’t help it.
“Why’s a school event so important to you?! You’re the one who wants
humanity’s destruction!”
“Since you ask, class B is doing a maid cafe. Furthermore, there’s talk of
Hinomori being a maid.”
Now that he mentions it, I think I’ve heard that too. It seems that my
classmates were excitedly claiming that they “wanted to see Hinomori
crossdress.”
I don’t know if “crossdress” was the exact word they used, but…well, it’s no
wonder. To everyone else, Ryuuga’s a pretty androgynous boy.
“You wonder why I’m so obsessive about the school festival? You probably
have a guess already…that’s right, I want to enjoy seeing Hinomori in a maid
outfit.”
“Again, I couldn’t have guessed that!”
Despite his remarks, Agito remained calm and collected.

His eyes were sparkling like a young boy’s. He only reveals his emotions
when Ryuuga’s involved. A needless glimpse of his humanity.
“I will see maid Hinomori, even if it means resorting to evil.”
“Don’t act like you’re anything else! You’re already evil!”
“To see Hinomori wearing an Alice band, a frilled apron, and knee socks…
and to hear her say ‘Welcome back, Master.’ Just imaging it puts me at the
edge of my seat.”
“Stop talking! You’re acting out of character!”
“If she wore cat ears…would I be able to maintain my sense of reason?”
“Hey! Stop leaning forward while saying that! Please don’t give me anything
else to retort to! This story’s already full of idiots!”
After begging in tears, Agito eventually straightened himself. It seems that he

settled down…I should have just headed straight to the station without
getting involved with him.
“Anyhow, I’m serious about Hinomori. I’ve been sending messages of love
to her everyday after getting her email address. ‘I love you. Come with me,’
and the like.”
He’s still doing that? Even after being rejected already?
“Kobayashi, are you interested? Do you want to know what kind of messages
Hinomori and I send?”
“I, I’m not that interested.”
“No need to hold back. For instance, the other day, I sent a message saying ‘I
will teach you the pleasures of a woman. I can massage your chest for half a
day.'”
“Don’t sexually harass the protagonist!”

“I was so glad that I received an immediate reply. ‘I’m going to hit you!’
were her words.”
“You made Ryuga really angry!”
I was a bit relieved after hearing Ryuuga’s reply. I wouldn’t know what to do
if that made her heart flutter.
“Yesterday, I got a suggestive message that read ‘Don’t message me

anymore.'”
“How is that suggestive?! It’s plain as day!”
“I got an error when I tried to send her a message this morning.”
“You got blocked!”
“I’m sure that she refused me in bashfulness, dyed red like cherry blossoms.
What a cute woman.”
“Damn it! Are you even sane?! Also, once again, Ryuga’s a guy!”
Agito and I headed towards the station while I continued retorting to him.
This guy isn’t going crazy because…he’s involving himself with me, right?

Part 3
About thirty minutes passed.
Returning by train, I walked with sluggish steps, somehow reaching school.
I arrived during a break before third period, so my classmates had scattered

themselves and spoke amongst each other.
Nobody reacted to me, indicating that perhaps the school nurse Hebizuka, aka
Jyuri, gave everyone a subconscious suggestion. People seemed to think that
I’ve been at school since the morning.
“Ichirou, you’re late.”
The moment I placed my bag near my seat, one slender boy walked towards
me.
The pretty boy had a well-ordered appearance and tied the hair on the back of
his head with black string…needless to say, it was Hinomori Ryuuga.
“Hey, Ryuga. Sorry that I couldn’t go with you to Yukimiya’s this morning.”
“There’s not much you can do when you have a stomach ache. Though, I’m
relieved that you seem fine. Anyways…”
Ryuuga suddenly frowned and turned towards the edge of the room near the
hallway.
Sure enough, there sat Tenryouin Agito. Well, I suppose she’d be worried…
he and I did enter the campus at the same time.
“Why were you with Tenryouin? You shouldn’t get along with him.”

“W, we just happened to meet at the school gate. We weren’t together for the
whole time.”
“That guy’s an offensive pervert, okay? The extreme kind, you know?”
Understandably, Ryuuga’s words were harsh. I already know about his

behavior. He’s been sending perverted e-mails to her each day.
Noticing Ryuuga’s gaze, Agito saluted with two fingers.
In response to his showy gesture, Ryuuga stuck out her tongue and dragged
me to the window. Don’t stick your tongue out. You look like a girl when
you do that.

(Well, she is a girl, after all…)
──Do you not feel anything? You’re forcing Hinomori, a woman, to

fight.──
Agito’s words came to mind, making me feel terrible again. My guilt for
Ryuuga continued to swell.
Oblivious to my guilt, Ryuuga leaned against the wall and crossed her arms.
Lowering her volume so that nobody could hear us, she spoke in a serious
tone.
“So Ichirou, I already told you about Shiori in the message I sent you, but…
what do you think?”
“Y, you mean about the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu?”
“Yes. Shiori told us to leave it to her, but…I really think it’s too dangerous.
In the end, she’s still facing an ‘Evil Spirit.'”
Her worries were reasonable. It seems she was so worried about Yukimiya
that she hardly slept last night. I heard that Aogasaki and Kurogame were the
same.
As of now, the main characters have shifted their focus from Qiongqi to Tao.
However, the one they should be wary of is that “Shota Evil Spirit,” not the
“Inelegant Evil Spirit.”
(I suppose I shouldn’t redirect their energy towards Qiongqi, should I…? If I

do, I would just be leading Ryuga by the way of my ego, wouldn’t I…?)
While still not recovering from my self-loathing, Ryuuga grumbled in a sad

manner.
“Shiori’s in great trouble, and yet Elle is there just sleeping…”
Following Ryuuga, I stared at Elmira to find that she was sleeping over her
desk like usual. I could even hear her snoozing.

“She’s also had a very lenient attitude in regards to the three princesses…
does she even realize how serious the situation is?”
I know how you feel, but please forgive her. That vampire knows the other
side of the story. Apart from Agito being “Qiongqi’s vessel,” that is.
Elmira needs to suppress Ryuuga’s and the others’ distrust of the three
princesses.
She probably has her hands full with that task, so I’ll hold back on telling her
about Agito’s true identity for now. I should let her focus on her mission
without giving her any distractions.
“I tried checking the school infirmary, but Jyuri wasn’t there. I wanted to
question her about last night…does Tie know anything?”
“N, no. He’s not really interested in what his subordinates do.”
“Come to think of it, why were you in the cemetery last night, Ichirou?”
“I, I sensed a powerful ill will. I went to go see it, and you know the story
from there.”
“That cheetah apostle and beetle apostle must have been Taowu’s
subordinates, right?”
“Um, I heard them mention that they were part of the top eight and were
Qiongqi’s subordinates. It seems they’re not related to Tao.”
“Who’s Tao?”
“Crap…d, don’t worry about it! I just wanted to try using a pseudonym! You
know, to avoid any mix up with Taotie!”
Ryuuga continued to question me, leaving me in a state of internal panic.

Please stop. Don’t ask anymore. My cover’s going to be blown soon. Or
rather, it already has.
Fortunately, Ryuuga stopped after saying “Tao sounds too cute.”

Returning to the main topic, she once again stared at me. Her long eyelashes,
her small lips, her slender jaw…seeing her up close made me fully aware of
her being a girl.
“Anyways, I think that the issue we should focus on is──Shiori.”
“……”
“I can’t just leave her alone, knowing that an ‘Evil Spirit’ possesses her. Her
butler Sebastian’s been constantly worried about her illness…”
I’m also worried about him. I mean that in a different sense though.
Renie, acting on behalf of Tao, showed interest in an alliance with Qiongqi.

I’m worried about what kind of forced measures he might take if he realizes
that he can’t convince Tao.
(The three princesses are taking turns guarding Yukimiya. Even Renie should
have trouble interfering. It might be a bother having apostles come uninvited
to the Yukimiya residence though…)
After some time, the bell rang.
Everyone returned to their seats as class began, as did I. English class, taught
by the homeroom teacher Minegishi, took up third period.
“Well Ryuga, let’s talk later.”
“Sure. Actually, I have one more personal concern, but…I’ll talk about
during the next break.”
“Personal concern?”
“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal. Don’t worry too much about it.”
After acknowledging by saying “I understand,” I went back to my seat for the

time being.
I’m not sure what this concern is, but if the protagonist’s consulting me about

it, I suppose I’ll see what I can do.
After all, I am Ryuuga’s “friend character.” The less important of a problem

it is, the more actively I should be involved in it.
(Could it be her chest? Did she grow out of an E-cup? Or could it be that
Agito’s acting indecently again?)
When I peeked at Agito, our eyes made contact. His eyes seemed to tell me
“Don’t be so over-familiar with my Hinomori.”
(Well, I’ll know by the next break. I don’t need to spend time guessing.)
However, Ryuuga’s concern soon became clear.
Unexpectedly, I found out about it during third period.
It would…prove to be troublesome for me, Agito, and even the rest of the
boys in the class.
“Class is canceled. The school festival is near and we should be using this
time for planning.”
When third period began, Minegishi announced as such, making for an

irregular homeroom.
Class B gave cries of joy and quickly closed their English textbooks. Soon
enough, a boy and girl stood up and came to the front of the blackboard and
took control of the class.
They were Higuchi and Tooyama. They were part of the school festival
action committee.
“Everyone, So far, we have the general theme of a ‘maid cafe,’ but we hardly
have any concrete plans.”
“If we don’t put our backs into it, things will turn sour for us. The other

classes are already beginning to move.”
Right. To be honest, class B was considerably behind.
How many maid outfits do we prepare? How many coffee beans do we get?
Which of the girls will be maids? We still haven’t formed any answers to
those questions. That would certainly worry the homeroom teacher,
Minegishi.
(Now that I think about it, despite how hectic the story’s been…wasn’t it bad
to neglect the school festival event?)
This battle story also has its “school scenes.”
Sports festivals, school festivals, and field trips make for classic episodes…
I’ve heard that such episodes are well-received. I can’t afford to ignore this
demand.
These are the sorts of things a friend character does their best at. They take
center stage during the daily life part.
Was I so distracted with adjusting the story that I forgot about my important
job?
(Qiongqi won’t do anything this week either. I’m certainly worried about Tao
and Renie, but I would be getting my priorities backwards if I ignore the
school festival.)
It’s not too late now. I’ll enliven this school event.
I can’t make the protagonist’s class appear sloppy when they’re in the
spotlight. I’ll show off my skills as a friend character. Isn’t that right,
Mitsuhiko?! Nakajima?! That one glasses kid who’s friends with
Maruko?!TLNMitsuhiko is a friend character in the Detective Conan series (as
I’ve mentioned before). Nakajima likely refers to Nakajima Hiroshi, a minor
character from the series Sazae-san. The glasses kid refers to Honami Tamae,
best friend of the protagonist in the series Chibi Maruko-chan.

“Alright! Let me state my opinion!”
…That being the case, I energetically spoke up. Just like a bossy leader.
“If you think about how much time we have, we should limit ourselves to
five maid outfits! We should buy coffee beans from the supermarket
immediately! Cookies alone are enough for the food menu! We’re only
making a mock shop for high schoolers! The point is to make our customers
know that we have schoolgirls working as maids!”
With my proposals adopted, the meeting proceeded smoothly. …However, at

the very end, we faced a very troublesome problem.
It was the question of “who should be the maids?”
“Here! I want Hinomori to be a maid!”
Satou cheerfully raised his hand.
Thereupon, several boys followed suit, saying “I agree!”, “It’ll work with
Hinomori!”, and “I want him to pad his chest!” out loud.
Furthermore, the girls also joined in, saying “I also want to see that,”
“Hinomori has a girly face, doesn’t he?”, and “Wouldn’t he be a better fit
than you?”
Of course, Ryuuga was shaken. Her lips trembled as the “Hinomori maid
proposal” received unanimous approval.
“How about it, Hinomori? Now that everyone’s on board, will you be a
maid?”
After being asked by Higuchi, a member of the action committee, Ryuuga’s

expression shifted and she stood up from her chair.
“H, hold on, everyone. Why is a guy like me being a maid…? Someone like
Elle would be better.”
Elmira herself was still sleeping.

She was completely indifferent to the class’ plan and to the protagonist’s
crisis. She had a lax expression while she mumbled to herself in her sleep.
“Of course, we can have Elmira be a maid as well. I think that would make
you and her the two figureheads of the event. Please, it’s for the class.”
Action committee member Tooyama similarly pleaded, causing Ryuuga’s

cheeks to twitch. Immediately following, her gaze turned towards me, asking
for help.
…At that moment, I had guessed it.
No doubt, this was the “personal concern” Ryuuga mentioned.
(It doesn’t take much thinking to figure it out. That guy and I should both
know…)
Didn’t Agito mention this earlier? The class had a “certain plan.” This was
the reason for the cease-fire.
I know, Ryuuga. It’s my duty to cover for you.
Leave this to me, so that I can wash away my feelings of guilt!
“Wait, everyone. We shouldn’t just thoughtlessly──”
The moment, I stood up…
“I also want Hinomori to, by all means, be a maid.”
That guy stood up and spoke, as if to interrupt me.
Near the end of the room stood Tenryouin Agito, the transfer student who up
until now, pretended to read as if he had nothing to do with us.
“There is naught but an individual more suited for a maid than Hinomori. It
would be no exaggeration to say that the success of the mock store lies in this
requisite.”

The classmates were amazed by Agito’s unusually eloquent tongue.
Indeed. This is the first time he’s shown a positive attitude about anything
since transferring schools half a month ago. It’s especially surprising given
the topic.
(Still, I can’t back down.)
Truthfully, I know better than anyone that a maid outfit would look good on
Ryuuga. I mean, a nurse, qipao, and bunny girl outfit look good on her as
well.
After all, cosplay is Ryuuga’s hobby. All she does at home is dress up. As an
aside, I’d like to mention that I love bunny Ryuuga’s tail-end. I love her
navel as well.
I’ll need to raise my voice in this losing battle against Agito. From the corner
of my eye, I could spot Ryuuga sending me a passionate gaze that said “Do
your best!”
“I want to ask the girls. If you let Ryuga, a guy, be a maid, what does that
mean for you? Do you have any pride? This is the previous event where you
can wear maid──”
However, the perverted gentleman in the white outfit immediately objected.
“These events are precisely why we should attempt new things. A male
maid…splendid, isn’t it? It would be more interesting than a simple maid
cafe.”
Of course, Agito didn’t openly state that Ryuuga was a girl. Instead, he
focused on him wanting to see maid Ryuuga. He’s a man devoted to his
desires.
“Alright then, Agito. In that case, I’ll be the maid. I’ll even let you stick some
pads onto my chest.”
“Do that on your own. There’s no reason why Hinomori shouldn’t be a maid.
If you think it’s unfair, then…how about we have the maids be nothing but

boys?”
The boys immediately made an uproar upon hearing Agito’s preposterous

suggestion.
On the other hand, the girls showed interest.
…How stubborn. Does he want Ryuuga to be a maid that badly?!
“Don’t be absurd, Agito! What are you going to do with Ogura, for
example?! He weighs a hundred kilograms! He’s also got a natural afro!”
“That doesn’t matter. Having that kind of maid would be interesting.”
Being mentioned, Ogura scratched his cheek in embarrassment while saying

“Heheheh,” for some reason.
That unkempt hair’s like a sea of trees. Fly corpses fell out of that hair before.
I also tried hiding a 100 yen coin in there. I never got it back.
“If you’re so keen on it, how about you?! If we’re adopting this idea, you’ll
have to be a maid yourself!”
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll do it.”
“It should matter to you! At least be a bit hesitant!”
“All people have the potential to be a maid. I am no exception.”
“What kind of mindset is that?! Are you okay with ruining the cool character
you’ve made yourself out to be?!”
“That doesn’t matter. To quote Nietzsche…’Don’t give up the maid in your

soul.'”
“He never said that!”
…For a while, the violent debate continued.

In the end, I lost. The boys’ maid plan was adopted.
The reason was that most of the girls favored Agito. They said “That means
we not only get to see Hinomori as a maid, but Tenryouin too, right?” to
themselves. The final nail in the coffin was when Minegishi said “That
sounds fun, doesn’t it?” and approved it.
“Alright. Then class B will do a boys’ maid cafe. All the boys will take part,
but since we only have five outfits, there will be shifts.”
“That’s right. Should we decide on shifts based on body size? That way, we
can avoid a situation where multiple people with the same outfit size are
working the same shift.”
Thereafter, Higuchi and Tooyama quickly put together the details. Seriously,
Higuchi. You get to avoid this shameful event since you’ll be busy with the
action committee on the day of the school festival…!
When I looked at Ryuuga, sure enough, she was at her wits’ end.
(I’m sorry, Ryuga. I just didn’t have enough power to stop Agito’s evil
scheme…)
Also, Ogura, the one who weighed a hundred kilograms, was exempt from
being a maid. He was the only one with an extremely large body, and a
headband would be unstable on his afro.
Though at this point, it doesn’t matter.

Part 4
“*sigh*…This is getting tiring.”
It was lunch break. Ryuuga, heading to the rooftop with me, let out a
complaint.
As usual, there were no other students around, making this our own personal
spot. So please, vent your frustrations. I’ll listen to all of them.
“To think that I would end up cosplaying at school…you’re the only one I
want to be a maid for.”
“This is all my fault. If you’re really against it, you can skip school on that
day. I can take your shift.”
“No. I can’t escape something everyone’s decided on. Especially since

they’re advertising me as the venue’s attraction…”
Ryuuga sat on the floor and cradled her knees while her back rested against
the fence.
Even though I was looking at her while standing…my mind was focused on
an entirely different matter, despite how rude that was.
(That reminds me, I’m supposed to contact Yukimiya at noon.)
There’s also the matter of Renie, so I need to check with her on the situation.
I can’t ignore the school festival, but I obviously can’t neglect Yukimiya’s
situation either.
Yukimiya Shiori is the “Evil Spirit” Taowu’s vessel──which has turned out
to be a problem time and time again.

Even so, she’s also the successor of one of the four gods, the “White Tiger.”
She’s the “Shrine Maiden of Life” who fights together with Ryuuga.
At this rate, Yukimiya will have to play two roles, a “companion character”
and an “enemy character.” There’s also that feud with Sebastian. The plot’s
getting overcomplicated.
(I know her individual episode’s been postponed now, but isn’t this way too
much to follow? Maybe I really do need to find a different person to be Tao’s
vessel…)
…I guess I should ask Kyouka, Ryuuga’s younger sister, shouldn’t I?
Perhaps temporarily, I can have her be the vessel of an “Evil Spirit” again.
Then as originally planned, I can have Tao fight with Ryuuga’s team to
deplete her power. Under those conditions, Kyouka should definitely be able
to “convert” Tao. After all, she was able to “convert” Hundun before.
(In that situation, Yukimiya can focus on being a companion character.

Kyouka would also have a new role in the story…hmm? No, wait a minute.)
That was when I realized something.
In the first place, having Ryuuga and Tao battle was a really bad idea.
I already know what happens when an exhausted “Evil Spirit” dwells within
a body without falling asleep.
They continue sucking up their vessel’s life force.
On top of that, the vessel becomes so weak that they lose consciousness and
are put in a life-threatening state.
(Isn’t that why I’m taking care of Hundun right now? In other words, the plan
to exhaust Tao is…fundamentally unwise.)
Tao will have no choice but to remain at full power. Regardless of whether
her landlord is Yukimiya or Kyouka.

However, that means it will be difficult to “convert” Tao. The only ones who
can overpower an “Evil Spirit” at full power are Agito and me…but neither
of those choices work.
What an idiot I am. How did I only realize this now?
(That’s not all. My ego’s rearing its ugly head again…)
What did I think of Kyouka just now? A temporary vessel? A “new role in
the story”?
This only proves that I see Kyouka as just “a piece of the story.”
How can someone be so rude? What kind of upbringing, what kind of friends,
would create a monster with this kind of mindset?
(I need to think about Ryuga’s feelings as well. Her sister had just been freed
from an ‘Evil Spirit,’ but if another one’s forced onto her…that would be a
troublesome matter.)
Before I knew it, I was sitting next to Ryuuga, cradling my knees in a

similarly disheartened manner.
My self-loathing didn’t stop there. I couldn’t even cover for Ryuuga during
the whole maid matter, what kind of friend character am I? I’m too ashamed
to even see Nakajima’s face next Sunday evening.TLNSazae-san, the TV
anime Nakajima is a part of, airs on Sunday evenings.
“If I wear a maid outfit, will they found out I’m a girl…?”
“I’m a hopeless guy…laugh at me, Nakajima…”
“They wouldn’t take low angle photos of me, would they…?”
“Should I shave my head…? Actually, that would make me

Isono…”TLNLikely referring to Isono Namihei, a balding father in the series
Sazae-san, the same series Nakajima is in.
We both let out our complaints together and sighed.

Suddenly, the iron door in front of us opened, and three familiar girls walked
towards us.
“Ryuuga, Kobayashi. So you really were here?”
One of them was a swordswoman with model-like proportions and a ponytail

that went down to her back.
Contrary to her strict and stoic disposition, she was secretly a fashionista who
kept up with the latest fads──the “Swordswoman of the Beheading Dance”
Aogasaki Rei.
“What’s the matter with you two? Why are you sitting like that?”
Another was the vampire with a low blood pressure, the one who slept like a
log at our class earlier.
Though she was a moody, wild, and devilish character, she’s into male
romance and is the mother of the orphan apostle Shizuma──Elmira
McCartney.
“Is this about Shio? If so, we’re also worried about her.”
The last one came from a kenpo household and also seems to be wearing
leggings under her skirt.
She’s an athletic girl who keeps ruining the story plots I craft and acts
recklessly without concern──the “Star-Wall Guardian” Kurogame Rina.
They were three of the heroines under the four gods, the last one being
Yukimiya. They were regular characters in this story who fight against the
“Apostles of Hell” together with Hinomori Ryuuga.
I guess they were looking for us, wanting to talk about Yukimiya’s situation.
This matter is very important for them as well. That is, with the exception of
Elmira since she knows the circumstances.
“Ryuuga, I just got a message from Shiori. She said that her health’s not a
problem anymore and that she can attend school tomorrow. She’ll talk about

Taowu once she’s here.”
Aogasaki’s words made Ryuuga lift her head and say “Huh?”
…That’s something we agreed on yesterday. This was a decision we made

last night over the phone.
The best way to reassure Ryuuga and the others is to have Yukimiya show up
looking healthy. Tao also knows that she shouldn’t do anything during that
interval, which should allow for everyone’s focus to switch to Qiongqi.
(It’ll probably be safer for her to be with Ryuga and the others than to be at
home. The three princesses won’t have to guard her then.)
In addition to my judgements, Yukimiya also seemed to have her own reason

to attend school.
I didn’t ask for details, but she said “If I don’t go, I’ll bother everyone,
especially Rei,” to me…and I suppose that’s why she sent that message to
Aogasaki instead of Ryuuga.
For a while, we remained silent on the rooftop.
Surprisingly, even Kurogame dropped her shoulders in dejection and her

expression was quite gloomy. As expected, even Yukimiya’s situation was a
shock for the usually easygoing tortoise.
“*sigh*, I’m worried about Shio…couldn’t we have just forced ourselves in

to meet her this morning…?”
“Don’t be so rash. Do you know how hard it was for me to stop you from
smashing through the gates?”
With an exaggerated sigh, Elmira scolded the tortoise. If I’m hearing that
correctly, she quickly took care of a situation that was about to go out of
control? I suppose I could let her suck my blood later.
“After school, I plan on waiting at the supermarket in front of the train

station. I hear that Mion often frequents that place. If we catch her, we can

get her to spit out why she’s protecting Taowu. Even if it means using brute
force.”
“Don’t do that. I thought I told you this morning already. Leave the three
princesses to me.”
This time, Elmira was scolding Aogasaki. Consider me impressed.
“Elmira, why are you siding with the three princesses? This isn’t the time to
act leisurely now that two ‘Evil Spirits’ have resurrected.”
“Yeah, Elle! The three princesses are bad! Let’s just hit them!”
…Unfortunately, the protagonist’s team had other thoughts.
Was I a bit too naive to think this would work without a hitch? Aogasaki and
Kurogame represent two of the four gods. If the two of them continue being
aggressive, Elmira alone might not be able to control them.
Thinking that I should help the vampire, I was about to open my mouth…but
someone else spoke before I could.
“Everyone, calm down.”
With that dignified voice, everyone went silent. Needless to say, it was
Ryuuga.
“First of all, if Shiori’s coming to school tomorrow…I think we should hold

off on the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu situation until then.”
Everyone stared at the protagonist who surprisingly, lent a helping hand to

Elmira before I could.
“B, but, Ryuuga. That means we won’t do anything until then…”
“That’s right, Ryu. The one who makes the first move is the victor. Don’t be
so careless.”
In response to Aogasaki’s and Kurogame’s objections, Ryuuga shook her

head while still sitting on the floor.
“Of course, I’m worried about Shiori as well. I want to see her soon too. But,
now that my head’s cooled down…if we do that, isn’t that a breach of trust?”
“……”
“Shiori told us to leave it to her, so we should do just that. Of course, I

believe…if she ever needs help, she’ll definitely rely on us.”
Ryuuga made a smile towards the two, who hung their heads without
replying. She then turned towards the scarlet-haired vampire.
“Similarly, I want to believe in you, Elle. If you say that we should leave the
three princesses to you, then I’ll do just that. That’s what friends are for.”
“Ryuuga…”
Elmira cheeks had faintly blushed. She obviously had a moment of heartfelt
passion. Come to think of it, she’s the only one here who doesn’t know that
Ryuuga’s a woman.
“Rei, Rina. I know you’re worried, but believe in our friends. Isn’t that how
we’ve won our battles up until now? Our bonds──are our greatest strength.”
Yep. Ryuuga is definitely the best protagonist.
She’s the ideal hero I envisioned her to be.
If there’s anyone else who can say these kinds of lines so naturally and
cleanly, then show me. Qiongqi’s eyes must be bad if he thinks that she’s
“not fit for being the protagonist.”
(If possible, I’d prefer if she didn’t say that while sitting down and cradling
her knees, but…I suppose that playfulness is also part of Ryuga’s charm.)
As I thought, I really do want to be Hinomori Ryuuga’s “friend character.”
I’m the only one who can support this protagonist.

If that’s just my ego talking, then I’ll gladly be an egoist. As if it’d be
possible for the main characters of this story to be Kobayashi Ichirou and
Tenryouin Agito.
Ryuuga will remain the central figure until the end. She will bring back peace
to the human world. Anything else is just icing on the cake.
(If I were to restore peace in the world instead of Ryuga…that wouldn’t be a

happy ending. That would be the bad ending. That would be the end of the
world!)
Everyone else would think so as well. I think people would rather have the
world perish than have the likes of a friend character save it.
Kobayashi Ichirou is no good.
This world is only worth being protected by the hands of Hinomori Ryuuga.
While I was affirming myself, Aogasaki and Kurogame soon humbly nodded
their heads. Behold, this is the protagonist’s power of persuasion.
“…I see. Perhaps you’re right, Ryuuga. If we become restless now, we’d be
doing exactly what the enemy wants us to. You can’t beat an enemy if you’ve
lost your sense of composure.”
“I get it, Ryu! I’ll have some self-control!”
Elmira felt relieved upon seeing the two cool down. Next, she walked
towards Ryuuga and kneeled down to match her at eye level.
“Ryuuga, thanks for trusting me.”
“Elle, you have the most contact with the three princesses because of
Shizuma, right? This may be imprudent to ask, but could you carry out the
role of a mediator?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll do my best…and by the way…”
After energetically nodding, the vampire then made an additional comment.

“Do your best as well, Ryuuga.”
“Huh? What?”
“As a maid.”
Immediately following, Ryuuga fell over.
What a playful reaction.

Part 5
After all that happened, lunch break still wasn’t over yet.
I stepped away from the rooftop, leaving Ryuuga and the rest behind. I
needed to make a phone call to see how Yukimiya’s doing.
(Should I go to the infirmary? It seems that Jyuri’s not here today, so it’s
probably empty.)
It’s not proper to use the school nurse’s room for skipping school, but there
shouldn’t be anybody there to make a big deal out of it. Everyone at school’s
been given a subconscious suggestion to “not think anything of Hebizuka’s
absence.”
I told Ryuuga and the others that “I’m going to the restroom since my
stomach hurts.”
Since yesterday, I ended up becoming someone who makes constant trips to

the restroom. Ryuuga even sent me a worried look. Though honestly, my
digestive organs are tougher than most people’s…
(I need to think of a different reason other than the restroom soon. What
about constipation? No, that’s still related to the restroom, isn’t it?)
While grieving over my lack of creative power, I soon arrived at the school
infirmary.
As I thought, nobody was there. The entire room was clean, down to every
last corner. There wasn’t even a wrinkle on any of the bedsheets. However,
the school nurse was absent…that is, the large-breasted staff member who
may or may not take her job seriously.

I immediately took out my mobile phone and called Yukimiya’s number.
I didn’t have to wait long, as the call connected in a matter of seconds.

However…
‘Howdy, Shiori ‘ere.’
The one who picked up was obviously not Shiori. She was far too inelegant.
There was no question who it was. One of the “Evil Spirits,” Taowu──also
known as Tao.
“Seriously Tao, don’t decide to answer the phone on your own.”
‘Oh, you’re Ichirou, ain’t ya? I knew you’d recognize me in an instant.’
“I could tell the moment you said ‘Howdy.’ Anything strange happening on
your end?”
‘Just peace and quiet. Until a bit ago, Shiori and I were exchangin’ messages
in our diary, but…it seems she got tired and went to hit the hay.’
Since Yukimiya didn’t “convert” Tao, they can’t speak to each other in the
same way Agito and his “Evil Spirit” can. She loses her consciousness when
Tao’s out.
Due to that, they decided to use a diary as a way to communicate.
When I asked about it, it seemed that they exchanged messages until late at
night yesterday. Anyone would be tired if they continued to exchange notes
until now. Aren’t they becoming a little too close?
‘By the way, Ichirou. Sorry ’bout last night. I lost my marbles…’
“No, you’re amazing for not fighting back. If you took action against Ryuga
and the others back then, things would have gotten messy.”
‘I’m an ‘Evil Spirit’ filled to the brim with philanthropy.’

“That might be a problem…”
‘That’s why I’m really mad at Renie. Workin’ with Qiong without my
permission, that bad apostle ain’t no child of mine anymore.’
Bad apostle. Isn’t that kind of redundant? The “Apostles of Hell” are already
humanity’s enemies. They’re inherently bad.
It’s the same as saying, for example, “women’s bloomers,” right? There’s no
need to attach “women’s” to bloomers. There’s no such thing as men’s
bloomers. Actually, bloomers don’t really exist these days.
While I was pondering about my meaningless thoughts, Tao continued

speaking through the phone.
‘Jyuri came to stop by. Didya know this, Ichirou? Shiori and Jyuri ain’t very
close friends. If it weren’t for me, they woulda gotten into a fight.’
“If she’s not at school, I figured that she would be guarding you…listen Tao,
you need to prevent them from fighting. If Yukimiya comes to school with
bruises, everyone will think you did it.”
‘I gotcha. Leave it to Tao! Oh, it seems Jyuri wants to speak, so I’m handin’
the phone to her.’
Thereupon, the person on the other end changed.
I heard the voice of the king cobra apostle who was supposed to be in the
school infirmary.
‘Ichirou, thanks for the hard work. There’s no trouble at this time. That is,
other than a catfight with that small-chested girl.’
“That’s plenty of trouble. More importantly Jyuri, beware of Renie. He’s the
butler of that mansion, so sneaking in should be simple for him.”
‘I know. As long as I, Jyuri, am here, I will not let him put a single finger in
Yukimiya Shiori.’

“Stop with the innuendos. It’s still noon.”
‘Also Ichirou, I want to speak with you about something important. I’d like to
make a suggestion.’
Jyuri’s voice had suddenly shifted. She cleared her throat with a cough.
‘I’ve spoken with Tao about this, but…how about having Yukimiya Shiori
temporarily stay at our home?’
“Huh? W, what?”
‘As you’ve said, this mansion is Renie’s home. Furthermore, it’s a long
distance away from the Kobayashi household, taking thirty minutes to get
here by car…so if an emergency occurs and we need help, you may not be
able to make it in time.’
“Okay…”
‘There’s one more thing. Tao still hasn’t regained her full strength. I think
that’s because she has just woken up and Yukimiya’s only been her vessel for
six months.’
“Uh, okay…”
That’s why Shima and Saihiru attacked her last night. It takes around a year
for an “Evil Spirit” to become fully accustomed to a new vessel. It might be
dangerous to overestimate Tao’s capabilities.
‘If she’s in the Kobayashi house, she’ll be in our territory. We can allocate
personnel to both guarding Yukimiya and searching for Renie. We could also
respond quickly to attacks.’
That’s certainly true. She has a point, but…there’s one big problem.
Having Yukimiya stay over means that she’ll know about the three princesses
living with me.
Isn’t that a disadvantage that far outweighs the advantages?

In the first place, us living together has already been revealed to a heroine,
right? To Elmira, that is.
When I made a noncommittal response, Jyuri seemed to have read my mind.
‘I suppose you’re worried about Yukimiya discovering that us three

princesses are living with you.’
“That’s right. If Yukimiya knows that, the shock might keep her in bed for a
while.”
‘However, that problem’s already been solved by Tao.’
“…What?”
‘I peeked at the diary they used not too long ago…and Tao wrote a lot. She
wrote about us living in the Kobayashi house. She even included a cute
drawing.’
I nearly dropped my mobile phone.
She wrote that!? Furthermore, she drew it!? She told her about this top-secret
matter!?
‘Yukimiya already knows, so don’t worry.’
“I’m definitely worried!”
‘Sure enough, it was a big shock and now she’s lying in her bed.’
“Then she’s not sleeping because of fatigue! This information’s the reason
why she’s sleeping!”
‘Now she’s having a nightmare. Hahaha.’
“Why are you chuckling from that!?”
I made a mistake. I should have told Tao to keep quiet about this.

But now that it’s come to this, giving refuge to Yukimiya might be effective.
I would’ve eventually told everyone about the three princesses living with me
anyways.
──As of now, Aogasaki and Kurogame know about Ryuuga being a girl.
──Yukimiya and Elmira know that the three princesses live in the Kobayashi
household.
Two of the four heroines know about one secret, and the other two know
about the other. Actually, with this, perhaps it’ll be easier to keep track of
things now.
I made up my mind, approved of Jyuri’s proposal, and hung up. Though, not
before I heard Tao say “Hurray, sleepover,” without a hint of repentance.
(*sigh*, so now we have a new roommate? My home is starting to look like

an illegal lodging-house.)
…When I returned to class with a dejected mood, I found that Ryuuga and
Elmira were already there.
While the vampire was sleeping despite everything that happened, several
girls surrounded Ryuuga, each putting a headband on her.
“No, it looks good on you! You’re cute, Hinomori!”
“Is this what they call a trap?”
“With those slim proportions, won’t guests really think you’re a woman?”
Ryuuga scratched her cheek with a strained smile while the girls giggled
amongst themselves.
Hey, don’t toy with her for your own amusement. And Agito, don’t try to
secretly take pictures of Ryuuga while she has a headband on.
There was still about a minute until the bell, so I forcefully broke through the
circle of girls. At times like these, it’s my job to cover for Ryuuga.

“Put a headband on me. I’m going to have to be a maid as well.”
Once I said that, I snatched a headband on a desk on tried it on. Thereupon…
“Ew, gross!”
“You’re plain!”
“You stink!”
The girls simultaneously unleashed words of abuse. Why did they say I stink?
This has nothing to do with smell.
…Hey Ryuuga, don’t try to secretly take pictures of me while I have a

headband on.

Part 6
School had ended. On the way home, I was together with Ryuuga and Elmira
until we parted ways like usual.
I didn’t feel like going home and so I decided to sit around on the park’s
bench and distract myself.
It was only four o’clock, so there was some time until dinner. Dinner at the
Kobayashi household basically takes place at seven o’clock.
Normally, I would take a bath after that, and then spend time in the living
room, but…I wouldn’t do that today. I have a guest coming.
(I think Jyuri said that she would bring Yukimiya with her home at around
eight.)
That’s right. Starting from today, there will be another resident of the
Kobayashi house. No wait, that would actually be two residents. There’s also
Tao.
According to Jyuri, Yukimiya already agreed to it. She’s apparently making a

lot of preparations since she still needs to attend school while living at my
house.
Jyuri also seems to have given a subconscious suggestion to the employees of

the Yukimiya mansion. She used her usual brainwashing technique to give
them a suggestion that stated “don’t think anything of Shiori’s absence.”
What a convenient ability.
(At this rate, it’s possible that Aogasaki and Kurogame will begin living at
my house as well…what kind of friend character has that happen to them?
Seriously, who?)

While watching the sun set, I felt uneasy.
(Boss, shouldn’t you head home? I want to continue my game.)
Suddenly, a voice called out to me in my head. It was Taotie.
Did he just get out of bed? He didn’t even wake up at all when I was at
Agito’s apartment…
“Hey Tie, what happened to Uncle Hundun?”
(He’s still sleeping. His snoring was so loud, he woke me up.)
Listening carefully, I could definitely hear some snoring. If that’s the case,
then dinner’s going to be over by the time he’s up.
As part of our house rules, those who don’t come to the dining table by seven
shouldn’t expect to have dinner. It’s a rule that everyone starts eating
together.
(That reminds me, you met Qiongqi, right Boss? How did it go?)
“We have a week-long cease-fire until the school festival ends. Also,
Yukimiya and Tao will be staying at our place for a while.”
(More roommates? Even though we just got rid of Elmira and Shizuma?)
“Now that I think about it, this means that three ‘Evil Spirits’ will be living
together…perhaps my home is more wicked than Agito’s apartment.”
What’s worse is that one of the heroines of the four gods will be there too.
Friend and foe will live together under one roof.
(It seems a lot happened while I was asleep. As usual, you love working
behind the scenes, Boss.)
“Behind the scenes…? Hey Tie, do you actually think that I’m an egotist?”
(That’s not important. What’s for dinner today?)

“Don’t change topics that quickly! We’re having Hamburg steak!”
(Alright! I love Hamburg steak!)
“Is that something an ‘Evil Spirit’ would say?! Once in a while, you should at
least listen to your host’s worries or show some compassion!”
I was directing my anger at Taotie while he jumped for joy.
“──Kobayashi, what are you doing here?”
A familiar voice came from beside me and a tall, ponytailed girl approached
while wearing her school uniform.
“A, Aogasaki?”
Sure enough, it was the successor of the “Azure Dragon,” the “Swordswoman
of the Beheading Dance.”
As usual, she carried her wooden sword and walked towards me with a
gallant stride. My eyes unintentionally glanced at her well-proportioned legs,
covered by black stockings that went up to her skirt.
“You’re making a lot of noise for someone who’s alone. Well, I don’t dislike
cheerful guys though…this seat’s free, right?”
Aogasaki sat down beside me without even waiting for my response.
…I feel like she’s awfully close. Similar to that time Ryuuga sat on the bench
with me, the distance between us was like the distance between a hostess and
company president. I’ve never been to those kinds of establishments though.
“Kobayashi, sorry about what happened on the school rooftop. I let my

emotions get the better of me. I didn’t want you to see that part of me.”
“N, no. I understand your worries about Yukimiya.”
“I’m still inexperienced. I need to follow Ryu’s example and remain calm.”

Ryuu──that’s what Aogasaki calls Ryuuga privately.
After finding out that Ryuuga’s a girl and subsequently revealing her fashion
hobby, the two quickly grew close. To the point that they stay over at each
other’s homes and take baths together.
(Oh right. I can talk to Aogasaki about Ryuga’s issue.)
She’s probably realized it yesterday at the bowling alley. Agito was blatantly
hitting on Ryuuga, fully confident about her identity as a girl. However…
“Yeah, I heard about Tenryouin Agito from Ryuu.”
Ryuuga already told Aogasaki about the matter.
It seems Ryuuga had the same idea. She turned towards the one she calls
“Rei” in private.
“He’s considerably perceptive if he found out about Ryuu being a woman,

but I’m appalled at him using that as leverage to demand a date. I will not let
that scoundrel be with Ryuu.”
“You really think so?”
“Yeah. Though when I first heard about it…I thought that if Ryuu had a
boyfriend, perhaps I could have you all to myself. It’s quite unfortunate.”
That thought of yours is quite unfortunate as well.
“Actually, there’s another thing about Tenryouin that concerns me. I

happened to hear something from a classmate familiar with the Hakubou
Private high school.”
Aogasaki folded her arms while placing her hand on her chin. She often
makes that pose. It’s probably by force of habit, but it sure looks cool.
“What’s this concern?”
“Well, it seems that two months ago…ten students at the Hakubou Private

high school fell ill at once and were transported to the hospital.”
“To the hospital?”
“They were extremely exhausted and even when they woke up, they were in
a state of confusion. Even now, they’re still absent from school…and they
were all members of the dubious ‘Occult Research Society’ club.”
Something definitely smells strange here. Perhaps the incident didn’t appear
in the newspapers for fear of creating a scandal surrounding the prestigious
Hakubou Private.
“Could it be that Agito’s somehow connected to that incident?”
“That’s correct. Tenryouin Agito also──belonged to that ‘Occult Research

Society.'”
“……”
So that means Qiongqi is connected to this?
I didn’t think that “Shota Evil Spirit” would use Agito to create an incident.
It’s unclear how much of that story is true, but if they plan on doing the same
thing at Oumei High School, then we need to stop them. Though at the
moment, they haven’t shown any suspicious behavior towards Ryuuga…
(Like Renie, I can’t keep Agito’s identity a secret forever. However, I need to
do something about Tao’s case before I can officially reveal their true
natures…)
While I was having trouble adjusting the story’s schedule, Aogasaki

continued pondering beside me.
By the way, listening closely, I could hear two people snoring now. It seems
Taotie went back to bed. He might miss out on eating that Hamburg steak.
“I hope this is just a needless fear, but it’s definitely fishy that he transferred
schools at that exact time. Tenryouin Agito might be a man hiding some

secrets.”
“I, I agree.”
“Though currently, it’s all just speculation. Everyone’s worried about Shiori
right now. For the time being, I’ll hold back on telling this matter to anyone
else. It probably won’t be too late to tell Ryuu and the others after we know
about Shiori’s condition.”
When I replied with “I understand,” Aogasaki’s expression softened. For

some reason, she continued staring at my face for a while before suddenly
coughing in an unnatural manner.
“B, by the way, Kobayashi. There’s another thing on my mind.”
“What is it?”
“It’s not about Tenrouin…it’s about Rina.”
“Kurogame?”
What did that tortoise do? Does she still want to beat up the three princesses?
“Rina calls you ‘Ii,’ right? I call Ryuuga ‘Ryuu,’ but I don’t have a nickname
for you…it’s been on my mind for a while.”
“No, I don’t think there’s anything special about it, you know? That’s just
Kurogame’s friendly nature…when we first spoke to each other, she already
began calling me ‘Ii.'”
“I know that, of course. I’m not going to make a fuss over a small matter.
However, I’m a little bit jealous…”
“What?”
“I want to call you by a special name when we’re alone…”
The “Swordswoman of the Beheading Dance,” who was stern up until now,
was strangely bashful.

This can’t be good. I’ve had someone else show me this strange behavior
before on this very bench.
I heard that Aogasaki’s recently been studying cooking. Apparently, it’s not
for a hobby, but for “bride training.”
Just thinking about where her desire for marriage came from…frightens me.
“For example, what about ‘Wan?’ Only for you.”
Please don’t do that. That makes me sound like a dog.TLNThe “Ichi” in

Ichirou means one. The English word for one sounds like “wan” when
spoken using Japanese, hence the nickname. “Wan” also happens to be the
onomatopoeic expression for dog barks in Japanese.
“Then what about ‘Chiro’? Only for you.”
Please don’t do that. That sounds like Cee-lo.TLNCee-lo is a gambling game

played with three six-sided dice.
“U, um, just calling me Kobayashi like always is fine…”
“That might get confusing. I might also have the name Kobayashi one day.”
She really does want to marry me! That makes me an adulterer for having
Yukimiya live with me!
“W, wait a minute, Aogasaki! Talking about marriage is a death flag in battle
stories──”
I desperately tried to restrain Aogasaki.
Suddenly, I heard the hoarse voice of a middle-aged man. It was Hundun’s

booming voice.
“Hey Sonny, don’t drag this conversation out. Just pin her down and rub her
chest. She’s waiting for you.”
Of course, Aogasaki heard that as well and immediately turned red. She hid

her G-cup with her arms and quickly stepped away form me.
“Was, was…was that voice just now the ‘Evil Spirit’ Hundun’s!? That
‘Lolicon Evil Spirit’ infatuated with a middle schooler like Kyouka!?”
“Who are you calling a lolicon? Not a very polite greeting, is it, ‘Azure
Dragon’?”
Come to think of it, this is the first time the two have spoken to each other,
isn’t it? To think that it would end up like this…
“Come out, Hundun! I will beat your low-life attitude into shape!”
“The one you should be spending time with is this sonny, not me. C’mon,
you can do it in the bushes there. Do you have proper protection?”
“D, don’t joke about that! Having my first time outdoors would be a disgrace
to the Aogasaki way!”
I’d like to point out that’s not the problem, but now isn’t the time for retorts.
Aogasaki’s in a complete frenzy. She’s losing her temper.
“Even if it’s with Kobayashi, do you really think I would go that far so
easily?!”
“A sword wielder should always be ready for action at any time. An outdoors
kendo match is not a strange thing, right?”
“You and your words…!”
Aogasaki stood up straight and pointed her wooden sword towards me.

In an attempt to resolve the situation somehow, I quickly scolded Hundun.
“Hey, Uncle! Shut up and go back! Just sleep until night!”
“Tie snored so loudly, he woke me up. More importantly, Sonny, what’s for
dinner today?”
“This is the second time now! Hamburg steak!”
“Hamburg steak? That’s my favorite.”
“You too!? Anyways, stop harassing Aogasaki! I thought your notion of love
was at the level of a grade schooler’s!”
“Only for Kyouka. This is what third-year high school grandmas get.”
In the next instant, I felt her wooden sword hit my head.
“Who are you calling a grandma?!”
I ran around the park, barely dodging her slash attacks. The tip of her wooden
sword grazed the back of my head many times.
“Calm down, Aogasaki! Don’t attack me!”
“Come to the bushes! I’ll bury your corpse there!”
This time, I didn’t have Ryuuga to calm down the “Swordswoman of the
Beheading Dance” like at the rooftop. Furthermore, nobody was around.
As a result, I had to pacify Aogasaki by myself.
I ended up with three bumps on my head.
…There are a lot of people who hate violent heroines.

Chapter 2: Welcome, Host

Part 1
After narrowly escaping from Aogasaki’s wicked sword, I scurried to my

home.
By the time I finished both dinner and my homework, it was around eight
pm. At that moment, the doorbell rang.
“…Is she here?”
I closed the manga magazine I was reading in the living room and got up.
Mion, who had been sipping tea, suddenly put down her teacup on the table.
Kiki, who was lying down and watching TV, quickly got up.
…Needless to say, the visitor would be Yukimiya. Of course, these two were
also told that she would live with us.
As a result, the heron apostle cleaned the corridor ahead with a cloth while
the Hokkaido wolf apostle strangely cleaned up her monster figures.
“Honestly, I’m reluctant to go through with this…we’ll be living together

with another one of the four gods again.”
“There’s nothing we can do. I owe Yukimiya since she healed my fracture.”
I took the two complaining girls and quickly headed towards the entrance.
(If I had to say, Yukimiya’s probably the one most reluctant about this. She’s
the one who’ll be living with a man and three other people…and two ‘Evil
Spirits’ as well…)
To prevent Yukimiya from shirking, I had the “Evil Spirits” withdraw for the
time being. I wanted to relieve at least a bit of her tension when she arrives.

However…
“Good evenin’, Ichirou! Thanks for lettin’ us stay!”
Tao was the one who arrived at the entrance. It’s obvious from her tone of
voice, but even before that, from the cloth she wore around her neck.
Seeing that, Mion and Kiki behind me quickly kneeled down.
“Welcome, Tao. Please come in.”
“Our house might be small and unclean.”
In response, Tao said “No formalities, please,” and made a slight bow.
Jyuri then stepped in. She carried a large, wheeled suitcase.
Perhaps she brought Yukimiya’s luggage. Judging from her dissatisfied face,
it’s probably the “Shrine Maiden of Life’s” belongings, and not Tao’s.
“Ichirou, I’m home. Yukimiya covered the taxi fare…and she’s also prepared
living expense accommodations for the meantime.”
Huh, living expenses…Yukimiya paid attention to our needs, like usual. The
“Blood-kin of Eternal Darkness” should follow her example.
I returned to the living room with Tao and decided to chat with her, but
something happened before I could.
“Well then, I oughta withdraw now. So talk with Shiori.”
In response to Tao’s words, the three princesses all said “Huh?” in unison.
“You’re switching with Yukimiya? We didn’t properly accommodate you

yet…”
“That’s right. I, Jyuri, would also not like to get involved with that small-
chested girl…”

“I want Earl Tao to always be in the house.”
In response to them, Tao shook her head.
…I’ve recently reached the point where I can tell Yukimiya and Tao apart
just by looking at the face. When Tao’s out, she has a somewhat “childish”
facial expression. I also feel like there are spirals on her cheeks.
“I’m tired, so I only wanted to give my greetin’. It’ll bother Shiori if I’m out
for too long.”
“……”
“Even when I’m not out, I can still hear ya’ll. So that’s that!”
Shortly after Tao raised a hand, Yukimiya suddenly had a look of surprise.
She looked around at Mion, Jyuri, Kiki, and me before eventually

straightening her back. It seems that she’s figured out the situation.
“W, well then, I’ll be in your care for a while…”
Yukimiya silently bowed while pressing her fingers onto the floor. It’s fine to
have manners, but this feels like some kind of marriage arrangement. I don’t
want to have anyone adopt the Kobayashi family name.
“Yukimiya, you don’t need to be so nervous. Just think about the rabbit hut in
your house and relax.”
“S, sure. Umm…Tao told me about last night in our diary. Hinomori and the
others rushed in to attack, and the three princesses protected her. Afterwards,
Sebastian sent me home…it was easy to understand after seeing the
drawings.”
Again with the drawings? That saves the trouble of having to explain the
situation, but I regret that she now knows about the three princesses living
here.
I pondered about whether I should start by explaining that matter.

Thereupon, Yukimiya spoke to the three princesses once more.
“Mion, Jyuri, Kiki. Thank you for what you did at the cemetery. I’ll return
the favor someday…”
“Don’t worry about it. We were taking care of Tao, not you.”
The sidetailed girl gave the typical tsundere response.
After slightly bowing to Mion once more, Yukimiya turned around and
fidgeted for some reason.
It seemed that she wanted to ask something, but was hesitant. If it’s about the
restroom, then it’s just outside the hallway, but should I be the one telling her
that?
“Um, you see…there’s something I’d like to confirm now that I’m here. Is it
alright if I ask?”
“What is it?”
“I heard that you all have trouble with your home and were forced to live
here. Though──you have separate rooms from Kobayashi, right? You don’t
all sleep in the same room, right?”
The one who answered that question wasn’t Mion, but the blonde beauty.
“Don’t worry. We all have separate rooms. On the second floor, there are
three rooms aside from Ichirou’s, and you’re free to use them.”
Though that makes it sound like we live in a rich home, the rooms on the
second floor are all small. They’re only bigger than a storeroom. The largest
room, my room, takes up just six tatami mats.
Yukimiya’s facial expression had hints of relief. Why did that matter to her?
“I see, that’s a relief──”
“Though, I do crawl into his room at night. I slip into Ichirou’s bed nearly

every day. Actually, this has nothing to do with you, does it?”
“C, crawling into his bed!?”
The king cobra apostle showed an ominous grin towards the “Shrine Maiden
of Life,” whose eyes widened. She then walked up and clung onto me. She
made a sinister face.

“Ichirou is the vessel of my lord, Taotie. It is our duty to handle his sexual
desire. With my proud I-cup, it’s particularly my responsibility.”
“W, wha…?!”
“Ichirou is terribly fierce in bed. Have you ever seen him like that?”
“G, guh…!”
“He’s especially violent with my back. Have you ever taken him for a test
ride?”
“Test ride?!”
“Swinging up and down, left and right like a rodeo machine…it’s a bit of a
shriek-inducing attraction. I call such movements the Restless Saga──”
“Y, y, you’re indecent, Kobayashi! How shameless!”
Yukimiya, turning bright red, stood up in agitation.
At the same time, there was a noise in the garden.
Worried that it was an enemy attack, I quickly opened the curtains to check.
Thereupon…I found that the trees and weeds in the garden all rustled at once.
There was no wind though. It was powerful.
(Could this be Yukimiya’s supernatural ability?!)
In addition to her healing abilities, she has a special technique called “Tree
Binding Execution” which involves manipulating vegetation. However, Tao’s
awakening temporarily disabled her abilities.
The shaking vegetation is definitely the work of Yukimiya.
In other words…her powers returned?!
“Yukimiya! Look at the garden! That’s your──”

“Kobayashi! Please explain yourself!”
Yukimiya shouted at the same time I did. When I looked at her, I found that
she was glaring at me while her shoulders were trembling.
“The three princesses living with you is bad enough, but have you…been
engaging in inappropriate conduct with Jyuri?!”
“Wait, Yukimiya, your supernatural abilities!”
“So you really do like large chests, don’t you?! Are you part of the major
league?!”
“Hey, the vegetation, look!”
“I never though you’d be having intercourse with the school nurse! Even
McGwire would be shocked!”
Mark McGwire. A former hitter in the MLB. Though he was part of the
major league, I don’t know whether he likes large breasts. I don’t want to
look it up either.
“I will not allow illicit relationships! I don’t want to see such a saga!”
“No, listen to me! They’re shaking! You’re making them shake!”
“Mine are not big enough to shake! Unfortunate, isn’t it?!”
“I’m not talking about your chest! I’m saying that your supernatural abilities
are…ack!”
Before I could finish my sentence, Yukimiya unleashed a straight right

punch. I saw stars and got a nosebleed. Wouldn’t it normally be a slap? There
are a lot of people who hate violent heroines!
“Hey Jyuri, don’t overdo it. Can’t you see he’s bleeding?”
“Jyuri doesn’t like the butler Renie either. She’s the Yukimiya Group’s
natural enemy.”

…Thereafter, I was somehow able to clear up the misunderstanding and
Yukimiya cooled down.
“I, I’m sorry, Kobayashi. I didn’t know it was a joke. I fell for the snake
woman’s cunning trick…is your nosebleed alright?”
The “Shrine Maiden of Life” gave an apology while gently holding her palm
over my nose.
She made quick use of the healing abilities she regained. All for this.

Part 2
Starting over from the beginning, everyone sat around the table.
With Yukimiya’s permission, I also had Taotie and Hundun appear. The
upper bodies of the two “Evil Spirits” manifested and Yukimiya greeted them
while perplexed.
“Good evening, Taotie. I’m glad that you seem well.”
“Hey, Yukimiya. It seems that you’ve had it rough.”
“Nonsense…and Hundun, I believe this is, more or less, our first time
meeting, right?”
“Yeah. We only battled once at the riverbank. This is my usual form. Unlike
Tie, I can’t move around freely.”
Come to think of it, this is the first time Hundun and Yukimiya have
interacted, isn’t it? I really hope he won’t be as crude as he was with
Aogasaki. Yukimiya will be living here for some time, after all.
…There’s a reason why I brought out the “Evil Spirits.”
I need to tell everyone that the “plan to convert Tao through depleting her
power” won’t work, something I realized during lunch.
With a sad face, I told everyone that…Ryuuga’s team and Tao couldn’t fight.
“What do you mean, Sonny? You’re saying that you didn’t want to seal
Tao?”
There was someone who already knew about the flaw in the plan. It was
Hundun.

“Y, you noticed, Uncle Hundun?”
“That’s right. When an ‘Evil Spirit’ exhausts their power, they will steal their
vessel’s life force. In order to prevent that, they’ll have to fall asleep. Even an
idiot could understand that.”
“Guh, I can’t refute that…”
“I thought that your goal of having Hinomori’s team fight Tao was to seal
her. I’m afraid that you’ve overlooked something very important.”
I can’t refute that either. Now that I think about it, Hundun put the life of
Kyouka, the one he’s infatuated with, at risk. I suppose it’s only natural that
he would be aware of this matter.
“Isn’t it fine, Sonny? You’ve already reconciled with Tao, right? Even if you
put her to sleep, it shouldn’t be a problem for──”
“N, no. I will not let you seal Tao.”
Thereupon, Yukimiya interjected in a panic.
She was in her school uniform when she arrived, but she’s now changed into
some loungewear. She wore a light tunic and leggings, a surprisingly casual
outfit.
“As long as she wants to reconcile with humans, there’s no need for it. I want
Tao to know more about the human world. I want her to become fond of
humans.”
Seeing the “Shrine Maiden of Life’s” sincerity, Hundun scratched his head.
No matter how often I see him, he still looks like a bandit.
“Hey, ‘White Tiger.’ There’s no reason to support Tao that much, is there?
You’ve only become acquaintances after yesterday’s video messages.”
“Time doesn’t matter. I’ve already written with Tao several tens of times.
This is what I’ve decided on during our exchanges. Isn’t labeling her as an
‘Evil Spirit’──a mistake?”

“If she’s not an ‘Evil Spirit,’ what is she?”
When asked that question by an “Evil Spirit,” Yukimiya faltered and said
“Umm…” She contemplated, organizing her feelings before soon speaking
hesitantly.
“If I’m being honest, Tao feels like…a younger sister to me, I suppose.”
In response to that, Hundun’s mouth was agape.
Next to me, Taotie was the same as well. Furthermore, Mion, Jyuri, and Kiki
had the same reaction.
“Since I’m an only child, I always wanted a sibling. Tao is honest and cute.
It’s like I became an older sister somehow…”
“D, do not arbitrarily make an ‘Evil Spirit’ your sister.”
“Good grief, how impudent can you be?”
“Very rude. This is why I hate the bourgeois.”
The three princesses all quickly objected to Yukimiya’s problematical

statement. That’s natural. Their lord’s being treated like a little sister. A
longtime enemy turned into a little sister.
“But those are my honest feelings. That’s why I want to ‘convert’ Tao. I want
us to speak face-to-face without relying on writing.”
“……”
“I’m thinking about eventually asking my parents to have Tao adopted into
the Yukimiya family.”
“D, do not arbitrarily decide to adopt an ‘Evil Spirit’!”
“Stop trying to give her a mother or a sister!”
“Take Baron Taotie instead!”

“Why me?! Don’t treat me like an unwanted child!”
After soothing the three princesses by saying “Now, now,” and soothing
Taotie by saying “Please consider the offer,” I turned towards Yukimiya.
In any case, I have no choice but to leave Tao to Yukimiya. Pushing her to
Kyouka would be reckless and Hundun probably wouldn’t approve of it.
“Yukimiya, I understand your feelings, but…’converting’ Tao when she’s at

full power is no simple feat. Are you still willing to go through with it?”
“Yes, leave it to me. So, Kobayashi, once I succeed──will you allow me to

introduce Tao to Hinomori and the others? It’ll be coming from my own
mouth.”
“Then could you keep Tao’s position a secret until then?”
“Yes. I want to introduce Tao with the responsibility of an older sister.

‘Converting’ her will be the ultimate proof of that.”
…If she’s that attached to Tao, then I will respect her feelings.
I believe that Yukimiya will ‘convert’ Tao.
What a vessel needs to overpower an ‘Evil Spirit’ is a strong mental

strength…that is, a great willpower. If Yukimiya establishes a stronger bond
with Tao than ever before, perhaps there’s a possibility that it can happen.
That may just be a pipe dream though.
(In the meantime, our immediate enemies are Qiongqi and Agito, right…?
Once the school festival’s over, it seems that we’ll rush into part three.)
While I was thinking about such things…
Yukimiya suddenly straightened her posture again. Her face was more
serious than ever.
“By the way, um…I have another request. Can I ask?”

While everyone paid attention to her, only Taotie silently looked down.
I thought that he was pouting about being put up for adoption, but I
immediately found that he was reading the manga magazine I set down
earlier. It seems that he’s quickly gotten tired of this meeting.
“If Sebastian appears before us again…please find a way to avoid combat. I

want to speak with him just once more.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t accept that.”
Someone immediately rejected Yukimiya’s proposal. It was the Yukimiya

Group’s natural enemy, the king cobra apostle.
“Even Tao’s angry at his recent actions. That being the case, to us three
princesses, Renie is a target to purge…there’s no room for discussion.”
Though Jyuri’s opinion is probably biased, Tao is definitely mad at Renie’s

actions. After all, she doesn’t want an alliance with Qiongqi.
“Renie said it himself, didn’t he? ‘It will be difficult for me to continue as
Sebastian,’ and ‘For my lord’s sake, I’m willing to use you and perhaps even
eliminate you,’ were his words. Come to your senses, Yukimiya. He betrayed
you.”
In response to Jyuri’s harsh words, Yukimiya said “But…” and leaned

forward.
“Sebastian and I have been together for seventeen years! He’s like a part of
the family! He can’t become our enemy that simply…”
Yukimiya, with a face filled with grief, bit her lip.
At one point, even I thought that Renie didn’t abandon his identity as
“Sebastian.”
However, I’m not sure right now. I can’t say with certainty that…he still
cares about Yukimiya.

“I’ve spent more time with him than with my parents. He was always by my
side when I was lonely, hopeless. To me, Rikushou Renie is…still
Sebastian.”
Seeing that Yukimiya had tears in her eyes, the three princesses exchanged
glances of discomfort.
Soon, Mion made a deep sigh and spoke. As always, in situations like these,
the heron girl will speak on behalf of all three princesses.
“I don’t want to say this, Yukimiya. However, your words won’t reach Renie.
He sees everyone other than Tao as an insect.”
“……”
“That applies to his brethren as well, not just humans. Perhaps that goes for
other ‘Evil Spirits’ too. He’s an apostle who values pride over anything else,
and his pride──is his loyalty towards Tao.”
“That’s why he’s distant, even among the top eight. The only one who can
talk with him is Saihiru.”
It seems that the rhinoceros beetle monk is surprisingly good as socializing.

He was even able to form a team with the wild Shima. Not only is his defense
power high, but so is his communication ability.
For a while, a heavy atmosphere pervaded the living room.
“Isn’t it fine? If Yukimiya says that she wants to speak with him, then let
her.”
Taotie suddenly broke the silence while snapping the manga magazine shut.
“Yukimiya can see firsthand whether or not talking to him will work. We can
tolerate a little bit of her self-indulgence. Don’t forget that she’s part of our
group as long as she’s in this house.”
“Taotie…”

Yukimiya’s tears increased upon seeing Taotie surprisingly defend her.
Come to think of it, Taotie ate the entirety of Yukimiya’s grim cooking
before. Him taking her side again…really makes him seem like an adopted
sibling, doesn’t it?
“Thank you. You really are a nice ‘Evil Spirit,’ Taotie.”
“It’s fine. By the way, Yukimiya.”
“Yes?”
“There’s this video game that I want. However, I’m in a bit of a pickle since
my allowance isn’t enough to cover it. Whatever shall I do about this crisis?”
Seeing Taotie trying to extort cash from Yukimiya, Hundun immediately

retorted with “That was quick. He already revealed his true motives.” Well, I
had a feeling it would come to this.
Still, since Taotie is the direct leader of the three princesses, they must follow
his orders.
We concluded the meeting by deciding that as long as Renie doesn’t use

force, we’ll try to settle things peacefully.
“So Yukimiya, let’s get along. Though, I hope you’re okay with sleeping in
this living room.”
“Yes, that’s okay.”
“We’ll try to find Renie as soon as possible and invite him to this house.
Let’s confirm his true intentions and arrange a discussion between you and
him…so please wait until then.”
“I’m sorry for burdening you with all of this.”
After Yukimiya gave her apologies, Kiki immediately spoke up.
“Yukimiya. Don’t forget that we are your superiors in this house. Newcomers

will show respect.”
Already patronizing Yukimiya, Kiki sat down in front of the TV. She then
grabbed the remote control and played a recording of a TV program.
Needless to say, it was “Spectacle Man.” It’s a special effects-heavy show

about a giant hero who fights monsters, and Kiki’s greatly attached to the
monsters that appear.
The amount of toys in her monster figure collection is already in the double
digits. Though, she doesn’t own a figure of Spectacle Man himself. As far as
Kiki’s concerned, he is the enemy.
“Oh, Spectacle Man…”
Before long, a giant silver man appeared on the screen. Seeing that,
Yukimiya muttered to herself.
“You know him?”
Kiki turned around in surprise, asking Yukimiya that question.
I’m also a little surprised. I didn’t expect the daughter of a world-famous

corporation to know about Spectacle Man.
“An affiliate company of ours is the main sponsor of this program.”
“M, main sponsor…!”
Kiki’s eyes widened as she gasped. It seems that the bobbed-haired girl
knows that for a show, sponsors are like gods.
At any rate, I didn’t know about this. Who knew that the Yukimiya Group
was sponsoring Spectacle Man…?
“That reminds of me, the other day, I got a figure that’s not for sale. If I
remember correctly, it was of the lightning monster Pikarubol…”
“T, the not for sale Pikarubol…!”

Ignoring the TV, Boushou stared in amazement at Yukimiya. Pikarubol is a
monster that only appeared briefly and probably wouldn’t be merchandised.
Kiki always grieved about that.

“C, could you show me that Pikarubol…?”
“If you’d like to, you can have it. It’ll be something to show my appreciation
for last night.”
“Superior Yukimiya! Let me massage your shoulders!”
Seeing Kiki immediately change attitudes, Hundun once again retorted with
“That was quick. She already revealed her true motives.” It’s shameful to
think that they only care about money.
“Mion! Make tea for Superior Yukimiya! Bring some rice crackers too!”
“Listen…should a general give in to bribery that easily? Sorry Yukimiya, but

since you’ll be living here, you’ll also have some chores to do. Those who
won’t work, won’t eat.”
“Chores?”
“Right. Are you good at any kind of housework?”
“Yes. You can leave me in charge of the cooking──”
“No! Anything but that!”
In a flash, I immediately covered Yukimiya’s mouth. I can’t let the entire

family suffer food poisoning at this busy of a time.
Before I knew it, Jyuri also covered the “Shrine of Maiden of Life’s” mouth.
…Come to think of it, she ate Yukimiya’s rolled egg before, didn’t she?
I believe she collapsed from it.

Part 3
It was the next day. That strangely long Monday was over, but it’s only
Tuesday. The week has still just begun.
Yukimiya and I left the house a bit early and made sure to enter school
separately.
Although I say separately, I was just walking about twenty meters behind
Yukimiya. I can’t afford to take my eyes off her. It’s my duty to be her escort
on the way to school.
(If what Renie said is true, then he currently has no subordinates. That means
he’ll show up himself. So come out. Face us, you aging, combed-haired
butler!)
However, Yukimiya arrived at school without any difficulties.
How unfortunate. If Renie’s just lazing around, then that means Yukimiya
will be living at my house for that much longer.
(It’s also a bad idea to keep Sebastian’s true identity a secret from Ryuga and
the others for too long. We need to quickly find that spider apostle’s true
motives and figure out whether to defeat him or not…)
While pondering to myself, I entered the school a little later than Yukimiya.
Instead of heading to a classroom, I headed straight towards the school
infirmary.
Hebizuka was once again absent today. The three princesses were tasked with
searching for Renie.
(At this rate, Jyuri’s turning into a salary thief…but I’ll leave that aside for

now.)
I opened the door to the infirmary. Yukimiya was inside.
Surrounding her were Hinomori Ryuuga, Aogasaki Rei, Elmira McCartney,

and Kurogame Rina.
The protagonist and the heroines…the story’s main characters. Well,

Yukimiya was the one who called them here. And I was the one who told her
to do so.
“Oh, Ichirou. Look, Shiori’s here at school!”
Ryuuga’s eyes glinted with joy. I couldn’t say “I know. I followed her from
my home,” to them, so I also made my eyes glint as well and said “Oh,
Yukimiya!”
Aogasaki, Elmira, and Kurogame looked at Yukimiya’s condition and

seemed relieved. Though Elmira’s the only one who knows about the
situation, given how energetic she was, she probably still had some concerns.
Alright, things are going as expected so far.
“Shiori, I’m relieved that you seem better than I thought, but is your health
okay?”
“Yes, Rei. My supernatural abilities also came back last night. I can
participate in battles again.”
“Don’t overdo it. We know when you’re pushing yourself.”
“Haha. It’s a bit embarrassing for you to be the one telling me that, Elmira.”
“More importantly, Shio! What’s going on with the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu? I
need to beat her out of you!”
“C, calm down, Rina. I’ve gathered everyone here to talk about Taowu.”
…Right. That’s why we had Ryuuga’s group gather.

We need them to postpone the matter of Tao and focus on the “Evil Spirit”
Qiongqi for the time being. While we’re at it, we should also…talk about the
school festival.
At the end of our long discussion last night, Yukimiya and I decided that for
now, we should establish Tao as “a neutral ‘Evil Spirit’ whose alliance is
unknown.”
It’s pretty much decided that Qiongqi is the final boss of part three. That
being the case, I want Ryuuga and the others to have that same frame of
mind. I also need them to acknowledge that Yukimiya’s back on the team.
The important thing is for them to realize that they should defeat Qiongqi
first. We’re going to convey that right now.
“Everyone, look at this.”
With those inviting words, Yukimiya took out a letter from her pocket.
“Shiori, what’s that?”
“A message from Taowu. It seems that she wrote it while my consciousness

was taken over.”
Taking the letter, Ryuuga read its contents while seeming confused.
The heroines and I got closer to read it as well…Of course, I already knew
what was written. After all, I was the one who wrote the draft for it.
‘I have an announcement for Hinomori Ryuuga and the four gods. I, Taowu,
am the strongest ‘Evil Spirit’ of the four fiends.’
The letter began with that bold greeting.
When I wrote that, Taotie and Hundun both exclaimed “I’m the strongest
one!” and dismissed it. It’s important to bluff.
‘I already know that you’ve defeated my brethren, Hundun and Taotie.

Though we may be enemies, I will commend your work, despite it being a

fluke.’
Ryuuga muttered “Very condescending…” The neat handwriting probably

makes it even more irritating. Yukimiya was the one who wrote this letter.
‘It’s likely that you will challenge me as well in the future. I am willing to
humor you, but…before that, I must tell you something. It’s for this reason
that I am writing as of now.’
Ryuuga and the others all raised an eyebrow at the same time. Good, they’re
invested in it.
‘Listen carefully. Currently──I have──no intentions──of assaulting the

human world.’
Whoops. Did I use too many em dashes?
These straight lines in text are often an important part of light novels, but…I
just realized that using them too frequently actually makes a sentence harder
to read.
‘Since ancient times, I have threatened the human world numerous times and
faced your ancestors. And each time, I lost. Though we may be enemies, I
must commend…the power of the ‘Yellow Dragon’ and the four gods.’
Whoops. I used “though we may be enemies” twice.
It seems that it was a bad idea to focus on writing eloquently when I’m pretty
bad at writing. I hate my narrow vocabulary.
‘After repeating many battles for a long time, I am beginning to acknowledge

humans. You all seem to have some strange affections. Though we may be
enemies, I must commend you.’
Did I really use “commend you” three times? No way, I used it that much?
(I should’ve revised it first…I was hoping that Yukimiya would point out any
mistakes…)

Sure enough, perhaps noticing as well, Ryuuga muttered “That’s a lot of
commending…” The neat handwriting probably makes it look even stupider.
‘However, Qiongqi is not as forgiving of an ‘Evil Spirit’ as I am. As of now,

that cruel scoundrel…is planning on overtaking the human world, destroying
humanity, and playing a requiem. Though I’m only beginning to
acknowledge humans…I do find it quite disgraceful.’
Alright, this part’s well written. Brilliantly done, if I do say so myself.
‘Hinomori Ryuuga──you and your companions of the four gods──slay

Qiongqi and show me the strength of humans once more. I promise──not to
interfere with your battle. Furthermore──if you win, I’ll also promise
to──consider reconciliation──’
Ryuuga and the others gasped.
It seems that they didn’t even care about the sentence ending with an em dash
at that point. At least they got the message. I hate writing Japanese.
‘Until then, I will return Yukimiya Shiori to you. Do not damage my vessel.
Fu shuru shuru…’
The letter ended there. It seems that everyone made it to the end without any
problems.
There was a long silence in the health room.
While everyone was rereading the letter, Aogasaki asked Ryuuga a question.
“Ryuuga, what do you think? Do you think that the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu’s
words are worthy of trust?”
“I wonder…but, if this letter is true, then perhaps it’s possible to reconcile

with Taowu.”
At that moment, Yukimiya and Elmira made eye contact and whispered to
each other. Of course, Yukimiya knew about the vampire being our
accomplice.

Meanwhile, Kurogame tilted her head while pointing at the last sentence.
“What’s this ‘Fu shuru shuru’?”
“Probably a laugh. ‘Evil Spirits’ are ominous…”
I quickly replied to her. I wanted to end it on an eerie note since it’s being
written by an “Evil Spirit” who could be either friend or foe.
“That’s comical, writing down a laugh in a letter. What kind of face does
someone make when saying ‘Fu shuru shuru’?”
However, it backfired. The tortoise burst into laughter.
Is it too strange? Tao complained with “I don’t laugh like that! You’re
makin’ a lie about me!” when she saw that, but I went with it anyways.
…The room was silent once again. Before I knew it, I could hear the sounds
of voices and footsteps coming from students outside. It seems that it’s
almost time for class.
“Everyone, it’s strange that I’m a vessel, but…perhaps it’s for this reason
that…I think this letter represents Taowu’s true feelings.”
Ryuuga and the others listened to Yukimiya silently.
“If Taowu is willing to step away from the human world──could it be that
the three princesses already knew that? Couldn’t that be why they protected
Taowu at the cemetery the other day?”
“……”
“If Qiongqi was also aware of Taowu’s change of heart…he’d want to

impede reconciliation through any means possible. Perhaps he called you all
to the cemetery to fight Taowu while you were still unaware of the
circumstances, so that you’d become enemies.”
Of course, it was Yukimiya who said that. She smoothly said the lines I gave
her without needing any cue cards. She spoke as if they were her own words,

nothing monotone.
“I’d like to ask you all again. Could you leave Taowu to me? Under the title
of the ‘Shrine of Maiden Life,’ I will definitely ‘convert’ Taowu. In any case,
if I can get Taowu under my control…she won’t be a threat to humanity.”
Waiting until the end of her statement, I then shouted “Alright, now! Go!” in
my mind.
At once, Taotie’s and Hundun’s upper halves manifested from my back, and
backed Yukimiya with the lines I gave them.
“I, I also don’t think Taowu’s lying.”
“She’s always been a pretty gentle one among the four fiends. Couldn’t she
be tired of fighting with humans?”
“I, I agree.”
“Either way, I’m in favor of pummeling Qiongqi first. Right now, the ‘Evil
Spirit’ with clear malicious intent towards humanity is under the radar.”
“I, I agree.”
“Well, that’s all we have to say. Pardon us.”
Saying what they needed to say, the two “Evil Spirits” immediately
withdrew.
Taotie’s acting was terrible. Perhaps it was a good idea to give Hundun most
of the lines.
(You were too nervous. You’re pathetic.)
(Leave me alone! Damn it, I finally get to be in front of Ryuuga, but I can’t
even treat her as a girl since Yukimiya and Elmira are there…)
Ignoring the conversation going on in my head, I chipped in.

“We should listen to her. I also believe in Taowu. In the battle at the
cemetery, she didn’t lay a hand on Ryuga and the others. Doesn’t that mean
she has no ill intent? It’s not a good idea to charge in while overlooking a
chance to negotiate.”
Ryuuga pondered, folding her arms while muttering “Indeed…”
“Taowu not attacking, and the three princesses defending her…if you think
about these two things, it makes sense.”
“T, that’s right. I don’t think that the three princesses are hostile towards us.
Otherwise, they would make Shizuma, who wishes for coexistence with
humans, sad.”
With Elmira’s lines, the “Kobayashi Family Troupe” concluded their script.
“Shizuma’s the child you sheltered, right Elle? I’m surprised, I didn’t think
that a vampire and apostle could have a child.”
“I’m more surprised that Kobayashi became a foster father.”
While Kurogame and Aogasaki whispered to themselves, Ryuuga finally

looked up.
Now, it comes down to the protagonist’s decision. No matter what decision

she makes, I will accept it.
“Let’s have faith in Taowu’s words. I think we should give priority to

defeating Qiongqi.”
I secretly did a fist pump. As expected of Ryuuga!
Upon looking, I found that Yukimiya and Elmira were making the same pose.
“Everyone, is that alright?”
Of course, Aogasaki and the tortoise nodded their heads without any
objections. I’m sure that they trust Ryuuga more than Taowu. They are the
sword and shield of Hinomori Ryuuga.

──Now, it’s clear that this is “Part three, the Qiongqi arc.”
There was a lot of fumbling, but there’s no going back anymore. As soon as
the school festival is over, that “Shota Evil Spirit” will face judgement. Well,
from Ryuuga and the others, that is.
I still have a lot of worries about part four, Tao’s arc, but…I’ll cross that
bridge when I get there. Putting off problems until later is my specialty.
Momentum is important in a story.
Before I noticed, the heroines formed a circle around Ryuuga.
Their faces were full of energy, confirming that their worries about Yukimiya
and their doubts about the three princesses were gone.
“It seems we’re getting closer to the end. If we can defeat the ‘Evil Spirit’
Qiongqi…”
“And if I can ‘convert’ the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu…”
“Will peace return to this world then?”
“Even so, reconciling with the four friends is an unprecedented task.”
“In short, we need to punch Qiongqi! I get it!”
…We’re getting closer to the end, you say?
Indeed, that seems to be the case. Reconciling with Qiongqi will be difficult,
but with enough effort, it could be possible. As long as we have the power of
the protagonist, Ryuuga, there is hope.
(If it works out, the battle against the ‘Apostles of Hell’ will be completely
over. Ryuga’s story…will reach its finale.)
I suddenly felt a touch of loneliness, but there’s not much I can do about that.
The story must come to an end at some point. It’s better than leaving it
incomplete.

(What should I do with my school life when that happens…? Perhaps it’s not
a bad idea to search the country for a new protagonist…or maybe I’ll go into
the mountains and train myself in the ways of a friend character.)
Well, there’s a lot I need to do before that. I need to settle the flags I have
with the main characters and I also want to help Shizuma, who’s currently in
the spirit world.
Or better yet, just have him in charge of the spirit world.
While I was pondering about such things, Yukimiya suddenly clapped and
smiled at Aogasaki.
“By the way, Rei. It starts today, right? Our practice.”
“Hmm? We did have plans for that, but…given your circumstances,

shouldn’t we rethink the matter?”
“I’m fine. As you can see, I’m in good shape. This is your last school festival,
right Rei?”
Aogasaki seemed unsure and looked at everyone else for their opinions.
…Come to think of it, I believe Yukimiya said that there was a reason why
she didn’t want to miss school. “If I don’t go, I’ll bother everyone, especially
Rei,” was what she said.
I completely forgot to ask about that. I was wondering what that was about.
“What practice? Something related to the school festival?”
When I asked, Ryuuga scratched her head and made a bitter smile.
“Well, I didn’t tell you about this, but we’ve all been planning this for a
while. We wanted to make some memories while everyone’s still here at
Oumei High School.”
“……”

“There are five days until the weekend’s school festival…and it’s about time
we start practicing in groups rather than individually. Oh, Ichirou, if you’d
like to, do you want to watch? I’d like to hear an outsider’s opinion.”

Part 4
School was over for the day.
Ryuuga and the heroines dragged me to a music studio in the corner of a

downtown area.
It was a place bands would rent out when practicing, equipped with
microphones, amplifiers, drum sets, and other such things. Anyone can make
a reservation and it costs 2,000 yen per hour.
…That’s right. The “practice” Ryuuga and the others were referring to was a
band performance.
It seems that they’re applying to participate as volunteers on the stage during

the school festival.
“Everyone, thank you for listening to my wish. Though, is this really alright?
All of you are preparing for your own classes and the fight against Qiongqi is
also approaching…”
When Aogasaki shyly said that, Ryuuga gave a refreshing smile.
“Don’t worry about it, Rei. We all decided to do this.”
It seems that this all started when Aogasaki mentioned that she wanted to try
playing as a band just once.
The old-fashioned, Yamato Nadeshiko-esque “Swordswoman of the

Beheading Dance” actually loves listening to Western music. The pretty
energetic, hard rock type at that.
Her passion grew to the point that she started playing the guitar herself and
wanted to perform with her friends at some point. Then, everyone

unexpectedly agreed. That seems to be the story of how this came about.
(I never would’ve thought that Ryuga and the others would make these kinds
of plans behind the scenes…)
Hearing it left a bit of an impression on me. Isn’t a band with the main
characters a great opportunity? Or rather, why didn’t I think of that?
A live performance with the heroes. This is what we need for the school
festival episode.
I heard that for anime, in a sense, people have more fun with these kinds of
scenes than with battle scenes. I also heard that when the song in the episode
releases, it sells pretty well. They can also gain new fans by showing a
different kind of charm.
Above all, I’m glad that they voluntarily crafted this kind of plan.
It’s like they, too, know how to do things. They know how to respond to
needs.
(No doubt, this will probably be the biggest highlight of the school festival
episode. Leave the hype-generating to me! I, Kobayashi Ichirou, am
unparalleled at making things exciting!)
…However, there’s one big mistake they made.
A fatal error that must never be made.
Each of the five are about to finish their preparations. Among

them──Ryuuga, of all people, carried a bass guitar on her shoulder.
“H, hey, Ryuga! You’re not the vocalist?!”
“Nope, I’m the bassist. I’m also part of the chorus.”
What a foolish decision. What kind of protagonist gets assigned to the rhythm
section?

If a band’s a hamburger, then the bassist would be the pickles. I also felt
displeased upon recalling that Agito was a bassist as well.
(You all nearly got it right, but why did you shove Ryuuga to the sideline?!
Use your heads!)
While I was grinding my teeth, Yukimiya grabbed a microphone and acted

shy. It seems that she’s the vocalist.
“Um, is it really okay for me to do this…? I’ve studied the violin, but I’m not
confident in my singing ability…”
When Yukimiya seemed embarrassed, everyone else encouraged her by

saying “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
Indeed, I’ve heard that Yukimiya won several awards in violin competitions.
However, this is a hard rock performance. A violin wouldn’t be appropriate.
(I’d like the vocalist to change from ‘SHIORI’ to ‘RYU-GA,’ but there’s not
much time until the actual performance…I guess there’s no choice but to go
with this formation.)
Come to think of it, Yukimiya’s episode is still ongoing.
I’ll compromise by letting her be the center of attention. I trust that Ryuuga
will have enough of a presence by being part of the chorus.
“Leave the guitar to me.”
Aogasaki, finishing her tuning, lightly strummed a guitar. It was pretty good.
“I’ll take care of the keyboard. Vampires tend to like pipe organs…and I’m
quite experienced with a keyboard.”
Elmira set up her music sheets and tested her instrument. It seems that there’s
no problem with her role either.
“I’m the drummer!”

Kurogame grabbed a pair of sticks and hit a tom-tom drum. That’s about
right. I don’t think she’d be anything other than the percussionist. That’s all
she’s good for.
“If you’d like to, do you want to participate as well? How about the
tambourine?”
“N, no, I’m fine, Ryuga. Adding a new member at this point will ruin the
coordination.”
“It’s just a tambourine.”
“Even so, I still can’t. There’s a lot of factors to consider. A falling out
between band members, desires to work solo..”
“It’s just a tambourine.”
I firmly refused Ryuuga’s invitation.
A friend character is unnecessary in the protagonist’s band. If tambourinist

“CHIRO-RIN” is part of the band, that would instantly lower ratings.
“If you do want to participate, just tell us, even if it’s on the day of the
performance. Now then, everyone, how about we go through it from the top
for now?”
Everyone nodded to Ryuuga, and they quickly began to practice.
…I should have expected this, but they’re better than I thought. Furthermore,
each time they start over, they get closer to perfection.
(Their teamwork on the battlefield is working well in a band as well. Even

that tortoise looks kind of cool.)
Aogasaki’s guitar was precise, strong, and had some edge to it.
Elmira’s keyboard was elegant, refined, and added brilliance to the hard
melody.

Kurogame’s drums tended to be a bit ahead of time, but had a nice dynamic.
Ryuuga’s bass was simple yet fine-tuned, building a solid foundation for the
song.
(This isn’t even in the realm of a hobby. It’s shame that this will end after the
school festival.)
If I had to give some criticism, I suppose I’d say that everyone doing their
best to perform results in little tolerance for errors. Also, the vocalist,
Yukimiya, sometimes sings off-pitch.
Her singing voice is clear and beautiful, but she can’t seem to follow the
melody well. It’s likely that as a rich daughter, Yukimiya isn’t familiar with
hard rock.
(Though, boys and girls will probably go crazy just from hearing the school’s
idol sing. I’d like there to be a full version of this performance for the disc
releases as a bonus.)
I should prepare glow sticks for that day. While thinking about the need for
shouting…the five already ended their performance.
“Phew…it’s about time. How about we end this for today? Pretty good for
our first rehearsal, right?”
“Yeah. I’m honestly surprised. I didn’t think everyone would be this skilled.”
“Still, why are we choosing this intense song? Is this what you like, Rei?”
“This is definitely a song from the band ‘Aloe Nuris,’ right? I thought you
would choose a traditional song, Rei!”
Aogasaki panicked and claimed “I, I thought it would be a suitable song for
the school festival.”
Ryuuga and I nonchalantly exchanged glances and both slightly shrugged our
shoulders. The “Swordswoman of the Beheading Dance” being a fanatic
about foreign music is something only we know.

Yukimiya was the only one who breathed a deep sigh.
“The biggest problem is my skill as a singer…I need more practice before the
day.”
She has to ‘convert’ Tao, needs to deal with Renie, lives in the Kobayashi
house, and now she needs to figure out her role as a vocalist.
I don’t know when Yukimiya Shiori’s worries will end.
That night, everyone finished dinner and relaxed in the living room.
“La la la~. La la la~.”
In the corner of the room, Yukimiya continued to practice her singing.
Again and again, she softly sung the parts she got wrong at the studio. I think
she’s passable, so she doesn’t really need to worry that much…
“La la la~. La la la la~.”
“Yukimiya, you’re off by a semitone.”
Thereupon, Mion, who was listening to the singing for some reason, sipped
tea while pointing out a mistake.
“I, is that so? Um, do you know this song, Mion?”
“I suppose so. It’s a famous song that became the theme song of a movie.
That part is supposed to go la la la~.”
“La, la la la~.”
“No, it’s la la la~. Try singing from the top.”
…I’m not sure why, but Mion began to lecture her. Honestly, the heron girl is
quite caring.

Seeing the situation, the king cobra woman and Hokkaido girl approached.
They weren’t there to help her, they were just interested.
“What if you stand up and sing, just like you would during the real
performance?”
“This is interesting. Aim for Kouhaku.”TLNKouhaku is an annual New Year’s

Eve television special where the most popular music artists of the year
compete in teams of red and white.
With the three princesses and me as the audience, the “Shrine Maiden of
Life” said “Since you’re already here, please listen to my practicing,” and
sung a cappella.
She sounded a bit nervous, but the actual performance is going to have an
audiences dozens of times larger than right now. It’s not a bad idea to let her
get used to it ahead of time.
“La la la~, la la la la~.”
“Right there, put force into it.”
“La la la~, la la la la~.”
“Take a quick breath there.”
She corrected her singing each time Mion pointed out a flaw.
Surprisingly, Yukimiya’s singing improved rapidly. Of course, she wasn’t

perfect, but she was vastly different from how she was at the studio.
“Yeah, you’ve gotten a lot better, haven’t you? You don’t have to mimic the
original vocals too much. Let out your own individuality.”
“Okay.”
“When you need a beverage, drink tea. Catechin is good for the throat.”
“Okay. Thank you very much for your guidance and encouragement.”

I didn’t think that Yukimiya living with us would work this well.
Come to think of it, I heard that the three princesses held a concert in the
spirit world…I’ve heard their singing voices during karaoke, and they’re
indeed good. It’s fortunate that such people experienced with performances
were nearby.
I was thinking that this was a good spot to end today’s lesson.
However, Kiki and Jyuri began to give advice to Yukimiya as well.
“Superior Yukimiya. I’ve noticed this whole time, but you can’t stand
upright. Songs aren’t just about your voice, but also expressing your body.
Try some improvisation.”
“Okay. L, like this?”
Yukimiya hummed while doing a simple dance.
She spun around and tapped the floor with her toes…it didn’t match the rock
music, but it was pretty cute. She was just like an idol.
“Not like that, Yukimiya. You need to shake your hips more erotically. You
have no chest, so you’ll need to stimulate with your rear.”
“That’s none of your business!”
Yukimiya roughened her voice when responding to Jyuri’s advice.
Thereupon, her face suddenly went blank. I felt as though spirals appeared on
her cheeks.
“I wanna dance too! I love festivals!”
Saying that, the “Shrine Maiden of Life” suddenly started a Bon Odori. Or
rather, it was Tao that did it. The “Evil Spirit” who, at the moment, is
established as a neutral figure.TLNBon Odori is a style of dancing performed
during Obon, a festival that lasts for three days.

“Hey, Tao! Don’t just suddenly appear and dance!”
“Look, Ichirou! My Yasugi Bushi is the best in the spirit world!”TLNYasugi

Bushi is a local folk song of the Yasugi Region in Japan. The song is paired
with a comical dance about scooping loaches.
Tao pretended to scoop loaches while having the appearance of Yukimiya.

Stop! Don’t squat down! Don’t put chopstick on your nose and mouth!
Right when I was desperately about to stop this foolish act unbefitting of the
righteous, pure heroine…
“Oh? That looks fun, doesn’t it?”
“Ready to lose?! I’m the top dancer among the ‘Evil Spirits’!”
Against my wishes, Hundun and Taotie manifested and began dancing

despite only having their upper bodies. Nobody should ever see this party
amongst final bosses.

“Did you all lose your self-awareness as ‘Evil Spirits’!? Hey, Mion, Kiki,
Jyuri! Stop these three idiots!”
I couldn’t handle this myself, so I turned towards the three princesses for
help.
However, Mion left to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Jyuri was reading a
magazine. Kiki was watching a recording of Spectacle Man.
“Did you all lose your admiration for ‘Evil Spirits’!?”
Feeling isolated and helpless, I couldn’t do anything.
I had no choice but to give up and dance with them.

Part 5
It’s been four days since Yukimiya came to the house. It’s Thursday, only
three days away from the school festival.
Unfortunately, Renie still hasn’t shown up. Due to that, preparations for the
school festival have been proceeding steadily.
While watching out for Qiongqi, Ryuuga and the others were having some
busy days, preparing their classes’ attractions at school and going to the
studio after school.
While I was preparing glow sticks, happi coats, and other items for the stage
performance, I also continued searching for Renie during my free time each
day. Of course, I didn’t spare any cooperation with the class.
(Renie, come out already…where are you dawdling around?)
Ignoring the matters of Tao and the three princesses, he’s the only problem
remaining before part three, the Qiongqi arc, can start.
I want to know whether or not he’s nearby Qiongqi. It’s for Yukimiya’s sake,
too. It’s also for the story’s sake.
(Once the school festival ends, the Qiongqi arc will start. Before that
happens, I need to find Renie and confirm what his position is…)
I spent my lunch break while feeling frustrated, and soon the afternoon class
began.
Ordered by the class, I ended up having to leave the school and head to a
supermarket. They asked me to buy ingredients like coffee beans and sugar,
along with supplies like napkins and paper plates.

Since the school festival is imminent, starting from today, the afternoon will
be used for preparations. This applies to all classes, not just second year Class
B.
“I’m free as well, so I’ll go too. There’s probably a lot to carry.”
Ryuuga, who shrewdly requested to come with me, walked with me to the
supermarket. She also wanted to take a breather from the chaos and return to
being a girl, even for just a moment.
“Ryuga, did you try on the maid clothes already?”
“Yeah, I did just a while back. Right now, Tenryouin’s trying them on. As I
thought, it disgusted me.”
“I also tried them on, but even I was disgusted at myself…I think it would’ve
been better to have the girls be maids, like usual…”
“What~, you were cute, Ichirou. Wouldn’t you look good even in a bunny
girl outfit? Do you want to try one on at my house? You’ll be bunny boy
though.”
“No. A bunny with a bulge is the stuff of nightmares.”
…Agito and I haven’t talked much since that one time. I asked “Is Renie in
your apartment building?” once.
His answer was no.
It seems that the spider apostle came to see Qiongqi twice, but he’s still
obsessive about being “Tao’s close associate.” Well, who knows if I should
trust Agito’s information.
(Come to think of it, Agito doesn’t know about Ryuga and the others doing a
band, right?)
If he hears about it, he might try to jump in and participate. There’s a risk
him doing a bass duo with Ryuuga.

It’s my duty to prevent that. A live performance of the main characters needs
no extra members. Neither friend characters nor enemy characters are
necessary.
Unaware of my thoughts, Ryuuga smiled at me.
From the moment we walked together, I felt as if she was a little more
mature. Or rather, she feels very womanly…can she hide her identity as a girl
until graduation?
“Shiori’s attending school every day and she seems to be in perfect shape. I
hope nothing happens until the school festival though.”
“What’s Yukimiya’s class doing?”
“Shiori’s Class C is doing a matchmaking game.”
Apparently, boys and girls are divided into groups of six people for a “make-
believe matchmaking.” In the end, people nominate who they like, and if the
feelings are mutual, they form an official couple. It’s all just a game though.
“If I remember correctly, Rina’s class E is doing a haunted house. Rei’s class
A is doing some kind of hero show. They even made a part of the schoolyard
their stage.”
“Huh. As I thought, the third year students are doing something different.”
“Furthermore, Rei is playing the leading hero. I need to go see it.”
A matchmaking game, a haunted house, and a hero show? Taking the band
performance into account, it seems that everyone has their hands busy with
the school festival.
We arrived at the supermarket, so we decided to split up and roam the store

efficiently.
Leaving the supplies to Ryuuga, I headed towards the food section. I went to
get coffee beans first, and for a brief while, compared the prices and volumes
of the products, until…

“…Kobayashi, you seem well.”
No way.
Behind me, I heard a deep voice greet me. It came from the aging butler, the
very person I’ve been searching for.
“R, Renie?”
I turned around in a hurry, and sure enough, there stood Sebastian wearing a
tailcoat.
With his usual polite mannerisms, he courteously bowed. As always, his hair
was solidified with pomade and his moustache was carefully tended to.
“Where have you been this whole time?! Why did you reveal Yukimiya’s
true identity?! Why have you been contacting Qiongqi without telling
anyone?! Why are you wearing a formal dress despite being off duty?!”
“Please calm down. We shouldn’t stand around while talking, so why don’t
we take this outside?”
Anyhow, it’s fortunate that we met. I can ask him about his position now. I’ll
also get him to speak with Yukimiya.
I responded to Renie with “Alright,” and we both headed towards the exit.
“──Hold it, both of you.”
A girl approached us from the side while saying that. At first, I was alarmed,
thinking it was Ryuuga, but it was the phony schoolgirl wearing a sailor suit.
“M, Mion? Why are you here…?”
“I was buying ingredients for dinner, you know? I saw Hinomori Ryuuga just
over there and fled here. It’ll be troublesome if she spots me…thanks to a
certain someone.”
With a sharp tone of voice, the heron apostle glared at the orb-weaving spider

apostle. She had an unfriendly attitude, imitating the king cobra apostle.
“Mion…well, no matter. Now then, let’s move, Kobayashi.”
Ignoring the fact that he just met a fellowman he didn’t see for hundreds of
years, Renie turned around.
When I was about to quickly follow him, Mion suddenly grabbed my sleeve
and held me back.
“Wait, Ichirou.”
“W, what? If we pass up this chance, who knows when we’ll see Renie
again?”
“Not that, leave the coffee beans behind. You didn’t purchase them yet, did
you?”
…I almost became a shoplifter.
About a minute passed. We moved to a bicycle parking lot behind the

supermarket.
Mion and I faced Renie, who had been waiting for us earlier.
There’s not much time to spare. Ryuuga will probably finish buying supplies
in the span of five minutes.
In this situation, I only need to ask the important things. Namely, what is
Renie’s true motive, and what side is he on? As for the rest, I can ask when I
invite him to my house. Yukimiya will be there as well.
“Kobayashi. First of all, I apologize for the incident at the graveyard the other
day.”
Before I could speak, Renie bowed deeply.

“I won’t make any excuses, what happened there was my doing. In order to
get Qiongqi’s trust, I had to resort to those measures…I’m here today to
apologize.”
“Do you actually plan on allying with Qiongqi?”
“The weak do what they must As I’ve said before, I am currently Taowu’s
only subordinate. It would not be wise to make an enemy of Qiongqi right
now.”
“In that case, why can’t you ally with us? Tao is much safer that way, and it’s
also what she wants──”
“You mean to throw away my pride as an ‘Apostle of Hell’ and ally with the
ones who’ve sided with humanity?”
At that moment, Renie’s eyes glowed with a threatening light.
“Certainly, it would be reasonable to ally with you and defeat Qiongqi. After
all, you have two ‘Evil Spirits’ on your side…Hundun and Taotie.”
The spider apostle immediately continued, saying “But.”
“What will happen after defeating Qiongqi? If my lord remembers her

longstanding grudge…she will definitely regret mistaking her allies.”
“……”
“So, who should my lord side with right now? The ally of humanity,
Kobayashi? Or, the enemy of humanity, Tenryouin Agito?”
In other words, Renie ultimately…couldn’t accept “coexistence with

humanity.”
Even if it meant angering Tao, he chose his instinct as an “Apostle of Hell.”
A conversation I had with him immediately came to mind. The spider butler
gave me a specific answer when I asked “Do you oppose coexisting with
humans?”

──It’s been a long time since I’ve come to the human world. From my
experience, it’s not impossible for humans and apostles to coexist.
However…this may sound a bit vague, but I wonder if ‘that’s really
okay.’──
It seems that those words were more deeply rooted in Renie’s heart than I
thought.
So, he chose to stick with his pride as an apostle. Against Tao’s wishes, he
decided to make himself an enemy character.
“Well, I don’t mind purging you here.”
Mion, who had been silent until now, suddenly took a step forward. Bloodlust
filled her voice.
“That is an act of hostility towards Taotie and Hundun. In addition, that’s a

breach of Tao’s trust…there’s plenty of reasons to kill you. Ichirou, can I
take care of him?”
That’s not good. If a battle starts here, Ryuuga will rush out of the store.
Even if Renie ends up being an enemy, I need to have him speak with
Yukimiya.
If he leaves the stage without that happening, Yukimiya’s episode will be left
incomplete. It would be absurd to tell her “Sorry, Renie was an enemy, so we
purged him.”
“Settle down, Mion. I don’t want to end things with Renie here.”
“It’ll be alright. I won’t lose. I’ll win and have you fall in love with me all
over again!”
“Stop exaggerating things! Not just with the battle, but also with me!”
Restrained, the sidetailed girl gave me a look of disapproval. In response, the

combed-haired butler grinned.

“Stop it, Mion. There’s no reason a maiden like you could kill me.”
…Did I hear that wrong? I have a feeling that just now, Renie said something
outrageous. Did he make a sexual insult, something unbecoming of him?
However, Mion reddened and she glared at Renie in anger. Thereupon, I

heard another outrageous thing.
“I am not a maiden. I’ve had experience with many people after coming
here.”
“Were they all apostles? Those don’t count.”
“Then let’s test it out. Let’s see how long you can last.”
I need some clarification. They’re talking about battles, right? This isn’t
about dating, right?
“You and I have had completely different experiences. One dealt with
humans, the other with apostles.”
“How smug of you…how many have you done it to?”
“Too many to count.”
“Oh? Then, are you going to do it to me? Or will you back out?”
“It doesn’t matter what you say, I’ve made my choice. Let your body
experience…my special move.”
Wait a minute! Don’t lay a hand on the middle daughter of the household! No
special move!
Right before I could retort, Renie shrugged his shoulders and smiled
sarcastically.
“Apologies, Kobayashi. For those who have no experience killing, us

‘Apostles of Hell’ label them as virgins and maidens. It seems we misled
you.”

“In other words, this man’s an utter villain. Though he has a policy of only
killing those who oppose him, he’s a complete pro in terms of his kill count.
He’s a veteran actor.”
So that’s what they meant? In other words, Renie won’t harm peaceful
humans. He only deals with professional killers. It’s fortunate that his pride
results in such a policy.
Mion revealed the feathers on her neck, prepared for war.
In response, Renie loosened his tie.
…I noticed a colorful ring on his right index finger. It was a toy ring made of
beads, unusual for the butler of a large company. Well, now’s not the time to
worry about that.
“Calm down, Mion! I understand how much experience you have now!”
“Don’t say it so loudly! For your information, we don’t mean maiden in a

lewd way! That’s important!”
“Anyways, I won’t allow a battle! Renie, I don’t care if you’re becoming an

enemy, but hear me out on one thing!”
“What is it?”
“Talk with Yukimiya! If you’re going to part with her, at least do it

properly!”
“That is not necessary. Since Shiori is living in your house, that means she
has no intention of giving up her identity as the successor of the ‘White
Tiger.’ Unfortunately──she’s not qualified for being my lord’s vessel.”
“Is there anyone who even understands Tao to the degree that Yukimiya
does?! You’ve also spent seventeen years with Yukimiya──”
“It’s all for my lord. For the sake of making Taowu the champion among the
four fiends.”

All he thinks about is Tao…does Yukimiya Shiori mean anything to him?
“Hey Renie, do you remember? You’ve thanked me once before.”
“Thanked?”
As Sebastian, there was something he said to me.
──I truly thank you for treating the young lady with kindness.──
──After entering Oumei High School, the young lady has become quite
lively.──
──This is thanks to you, Hinomori, and the others.──
“Oh…that small talk.”
“Yukimiya and Tao are getting closer. They even talked about having Tao be
a foster daughter, you know? Is your pride as an apostle more important?”
“That is my raison d’être. I’ll fight for Taowu and lead her to eventual
victory, even if it means turning back on my lord.”
“Give up. The winner of this battle won’t be any of the ‘Evil Spirits.’ It’ll be
Hinomori Ryuuga.”
“Kobayashi Ichirou…don’t you mean yourself?”
That sudden question upset me greatly.
“I, I am just a friend character!”
“You mean that you’ll assassinate Hinomori Ryuuga in her sleep and become
the ultimate victor?”
“No! No way!”
“You’re a frightening man.”

“Don’t arbitrarily turn me into a betraying character! Don’t make me knock
you out!”
When I was about to prepare for war, Mion was the one calming me down
this time. She scolded me by saying “Can’t you let him finish?”
“The most terrifying thing about you is that you have complete control over
Taotie and Hundun. Of course, both ‘Evil Spirits’ are threats, but Taotie is
the one to be cautious of.”
Well, I suppose he has a point. While Hundun has only recovered thirty to
forty percent of his strength, Taotie is at full power. In fact, he’s so energetic
that it’s a problem.
“Furthermore, Taotie has cleaned a plate of Miss Shiori’s cooking…hearing

such a thing shocked me.”
“His stomach is his only strong point!”
“He buys sweets at the convenience store each day, and he’s engrossed with
playing video games until late at night…hearing that relieved me. I’m glad
that he’s not my lord.”
“Don’t disrespect the ‘Evil Spirit’ of another home! You’re not that kind of
character!”
“The other day, I saw Taotie playing card games with children at a park.
When I saw that, it made me want to cry.”
“I’m the one who wants to cry! Those people definitely thought that was
me!”
Thereupon, Renie said “Oops,” calmed down, and turned around.
“Talking with you made me feel unwell…now then, excuse me.”
I felt a bit exhausted upon seeing Renie leave.
There’s more I wanted to say to him, but I’m already out of time. Ryuuga’s

probably looking for me.
(This was an important conversation with Renie, and yet we spent a needless
amount of time talking about Tie…)
Agito and Renie…is it my fault that the enemy characters are becoming more
comical?
Do I carry a Kobayashi virus that infects a serious character with comedy?

Part 6
‘Everyone, anything new? I’ve been doing fine, no particular incidents have
occurred.’
That night, we played back a video from a tiny camera connected to a TV.
I saw my beloved son on the screen, bowing.
“Kyaah! Shizuma!”
“Shizuma is so great, always greeting us!”
Immediately following, the vampire girl and Hokkaido wolf girl clung to the
TV and held hands while shouting. They were as fanatic as idol enthusiasts.
──Today’s the day of the week that Shizuma gets in touch with us from the
spirit world. During these nights, we check the safety and condition of our
beloved son who’s working hard to restore order there.
We decided to do video messages in addition to the written letters from

before.
This video was taken by Hundun when he transferred to the spirit world. An
“Evil Spirit” can teleport to their home for around ten minutes.
“Shizuma’s face looks quite gallant. Also, doesn’t he seem taller than last
week?”
“He might not be an adult yet. If he turns into a stylish young man at this rate,
I might end up giving him a taste.”
Mion and Jyuri sipped tea while exchanging words.

“Damn it, it was supposed to be my duty to meet Shizuma!”
“The video you took last time was blurry. I’m better with the camera.”
Behind me, the upper halves of Taotie and Hundun spoke to each other.
Among all of us, there was one person who stared at the screen from a
distance. Of course, it was Yukimiya.
…Inevitably, Elmira found out about Yukimiya living with us. Similarly,
Yukimiya found out that Elmira lived here until last month.
Receiving the new information, the “Blood-kin of Eternal Darkness” and

“Shrine Maiden of Life” both pouted, but I managed to have them come to an
agreement after kneeling down and explaining. First, they knew about the
three princesses freeloading, and now they know about this.
‘In the spirit world, there are still many who oppose my existence, but thanks
to my companions, suppressing them has been progressing smoothly. I have
some very reliable commanding officers.’
The camera shifted to reveal three apostles kneeling behind Shizuma. They
weren’t in their peculiarity forms, but their human forms.
I already knew about them.
They appeared on the previous recording as well. They introduced

themselves at that time.
‘It’s an honor to receive your praise. I will continue to risk my life, protecting
the young master.’
The one who said that in a bombastic manner was a one-eyed, middle-aged
man with several scars on his face. He was large and muscular enough to
compete with Saihiru, one of the top eight.
He was a giraffe apostle and a commanding officer of Jyuri’s subordinates,

Gaigo.

‘Leave it to me~. Those who go against Shizu will get a spanking~.’
The next one to speak was someone who was total ikemen, but was also a
very playful, effeminate man who wore eye shadow and makeup.
He was a hornet apostle and a commanding officer of Kiki’s subordinates,

Yagujya.
‘Well, don’t worry about the boy. We’re with him.’
Finally, the one who spoke while smoking a pipe was a laid-back, college
student-looking guy with messy hair and a bandana over his head.
He was a falcon apostle and a commanding officer of Mion’s subordinates,

Zelva.
…Oddly, each of them were the three princesses’ right-hand men and number
2 in their respective armies. They were a gang of reliable monsters with
strength close to those of generals.
“Do your best, Gaigo. Someday, I’ll reward you by stepping on you with
high heels.”
“Yagujya, take care of Shizuma. Show me the pride of an effeminate man.”
“Zelva, you’re still smoking tobacco! I told you to stop already!”
The three princesses all spoke to their commanding officers.
I have a humble request for them too. I’d like for them to go beyond military
barriers and work together to protect Shizuma. I’ll send them a year-end gift
in December.
Onscreen, Shizuma straightened his back and continued to report

information.
Before I knew it, he was standing in a black military uniform with a mantle
and boots, an outfit resembling that of a commissioned officer. He’s probably
the only two-year-old in the world who would look good in this attire.

‘The other day, I went to a shrine named Konminden, but I couldn’t find my
mother Reida’s soul. I still haven’t checked through all souls yet, but…it’s
disappointing.’
Shizuma’s true mother is a female apostle named Reida.
She fell in love with a vampire who was Elmira’s relative, and was purged by
Qiongqi’s subordinates because she wanted to live as a human.
‘It seems that there are around three thousands apostles sleeping in
Konminden right now. My mother’s soul wasn’t there…it’s likely that
Qiongqi collected her.’
Apostles who die in the human world are sent to the spirit world as souls and
revive in around two hundred years.
Three thousand sleeping souls, all of them defeated in the human world…
they’re probably apostles Ryuuga, the four heroines, and their ancestors
defeated.
The “Evil Spirit” Qiongqi holds the ability to, just once, negate the “two
hundred year penalty” for revival. That is his greatest strength.
‘I’m worried about my mother, but I can’t afford to neglect my mission. I

will look for my mother’s soul only after my quest to gain control over the
spirit world comes to a rest.’
“Ah, Shizuma…you don’t have to push yourself so hard…”
Elmira wept after hearing the courageous two-year-old’s words.
At the other side of the screen, the trio of commanding officers also appeared
strange. I felt relieved after seeing that they were more sympathetic than I
thought. Asking for apostles to have sympathy is quite something.
‘I sympathize with the young master’s worries. We must subjugate the spirit
world as soon as possible.’
‘I’m also feeling blue~. Reida was a soldier in my unit~.’

‘We’re going to persuade the commanders of other troops. Shidora and
Kiriya kicked the bucket, didn’t they?’
‘Hmm, an unauthorized attack? It seems that Mion’s troops have gotten lax.’
‘Oh my, doesn’t that apply to us as well~? Even Kiki’s and Jyuri’s troops had
members attack the human world without permission~.’
‘In other words, you all are no better. Don’t get cocky, you masochist and
transvestite.’
‘Who are you calling a masochist?!’
‘Ah, how mortifying, you birdmeat!’
‘Shut up, small fry. Oh? You want to fight?’
On the other side of the screen, the trio of officers began a scuffle. And now
I’m back to being worried.
‘Everyone, stop. You’re in front of Hundun! Uncle Taotie and the three
princesses will also view this video!’
While frantically stopping his subordinates with his small hands, Shizuma
apologetically bowed his head. He’s probably the only two-year-old in the
world who’s gone through so much.
‘I’m sorry, Father. I’m not as popular as you…oh, Hundun, it seems that it’ll
be ten minutes soon. Well then, we’ll unfortunately have to end things here,
everyone. Gaigo, Yagujya, Zelva, pull yourselves togeth──’
Thereupon, the video ended. At the very last moment, I saw the trio of
commanders morphing into their battle forms. I wonder what they’re doing
right now…
“Are your subordinates really alright? Can I leave my child to them?”
The “Blood-kin of Eternal Darkness” glared at the three princesses with the
gaze of a parent, and complained.

In the first place, the three princesses themselves abandoned the spirit world
and came here. They’re partly to blame for Shizuma’s struggles.
“I, It’ll be fine. Not only is Gaigo very strong, he can take a lot of
punishment. He’ll become energetic when you beat him with whip. He’ll
even pant and ask for more.”
“Is that really okay!?”
“It’ll be fine. Yagujya is an Asian giant hornet, but he becomes a butterfly at

night. He’s called the butterfly of the spirit world’s Nichome.”TLNNichome is
known for being a gay quarter in Japan, especially active during the night.
“Is that really okay!?”
“Zelva’s the only one who’s fine. Though, he did burn down a lodging house
after smoking in bed. I almost became a grilled bird.”
“Seriously, is that really alright!?”
The three princesses attempted to soothe Elmira, who was on the verge of
anger.
While watching the scene unfold, Yukimiya suddenly smiled at me.
“It seems that Elmira and the three princesses have opened up to each other.
Though, I really wish that…Sebastian was here too.”
…Of course, I had to inform Yukimiya that I encountered Renie at the

supermarket today.
I prepared myself and told her that the spider apostle was against
“coexistence with humans” and therefore united with Qiongqi’s faction. This
wasn’t something I could hide.
“Sorry, Yukimiya. At the very least, I wanted him to agree to talk with
you…”
“No, it was a selfish request of mine. It’s fortunate that we, albeit indirectly,

know his true intentions now.”
Noticing our conversation, Elmira and the three princesses stopped making
noise. Perhaps realizing the situation, Taotie and Hundun withdrew into me.
“Shiori, don’t give up. When we defeat the ‘Evil Spirit’ Qiongqi, Renie might
change his mind.”
“If you can’t talk with words, talk with your fists.”
“If he still doesn’t get the message, then he can reflect on his actions for two
hundred years. Leave it to me, Hebizuka.”
Seeing everyone’s encouragement, Yukimiya gave a slight bow. The

sidetailed maiden placed down some tea for her.
“By the way, Yukimiya, what will you do? As long as it’s clear that Renie is
an enemy, your stay here will lengthen considerably.”
That’s true. If Renie’s thinking about allying with the other side, he’ll likely
come up with a scheme to bring Tao and Qiongqi together. It’s possible that
he will take strong measures for that to happen.
For example, he could kidnap Yukimiya…and since he abandoned his

identity as Sebastian, he might be alright with hurting a vessel. He even said
that Yukimiya was “not qualified for being a vessel.”
Though I came to the conclusion that she should probably stay here a while
longer, the “Shrine Maiden of Life” herself claimed the opposite.
“I think I’ll go back home for now. No matter how you look at it, I’ll be a
burden until Qiongqi’s defeated, and I can make do with Tao and Byatoran
somehow.”
Byatoran is Yukimiya’s guardian deity, the “White Tiger.” Come to think of

it, her supernatural abilities have returned, haven’t they?
“Even if Renie tries to use force, I won’t lose. Truthfully, this is a thought I
had for a while, but I’ve kind of taken a liking to living here…”

That’s true, I suppose. Indeed, Yukimiya’s a long-time warrior. She’s not
weak enough to easily fall into the enemy’s hands. Or rather, with the
combination of the “White Tiger” and “Evil Spirit,” perhaps she might even
be the strongest heroine now.
Still, is this house that comfortable? It’s a bit ironic that the two heroines who
don’t know that Ryuuga’s a girl are the ones who lived here.
“Kobayashi, I’ve only been here for a short time, but thank you for your
kindness. I will return to my own house.”
Yukimiya straightened her posture and bowed on the floor. She looked like a
wife going through divorce.
Before I could reply, Mion said “Hold it, Yukimiya.”
“What will you do about your singing lessons? We’re still in the middle of
them, you know? In any case, it’s only a little bit longer until the school
festival, so why don’t you return home after that’s over?”
When Yukimiya blinked in surprise, the phony schoolgirl suddenly turned

away.
“D, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just making sure you won’t fail during the
performance. That’s my duty as a mentor. Nothing more.”
…What an incredible tsundere move just now.
The heron girl is quite the helpful person. Perhaps this is a result of her
“mother attribute”?
When Yukimiya glanced at me, wanting my opinion, I gave my approval.

Thereupon, she gave a delightful smile and said “Then I’ll do as you say. I’ll
be here for a while longer.”
If she’s taken a liking to this place, she can stay here for as long as she wants.
For Yukimiya, her home is probably quite lonely without Sebastian.

“Don’t be so reserved, Shiori. Think of this as your own home and be at
ease.”
“Why are you saying that, Elmira? Those are my words.”
The bobbed-haired girl immediately retorted to what the vampire girl said.
Though, she’s a freeloader here as well…

Chapter 3: Invitation to the
Festival, and Peculiarities

Part 1
In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived and it was the day of the school
festival.
Yukimiya stayed in the Kobayashi house without any attack from the
suspicious Renie. At any rate, she’s been focusing on singing lessons with
Mion as her teacher.
Of course, she continued to practice in the studio with Ryuuga and the others
after school. The band members were surprised by Yukimiya’s singing ability
as she improved day by day.
Ryuuga’s band is scheduled to appear at 3:30 pm. I hope that she can show
off the results of her hard work.
(As soon as the school festival ends, Sebastian might reveal his true identity
to Ryuga’s team. The first half of part three will proceed in tandem with
Yukimiya’s episode.)
Considering when Tao appeared, this ended up being a long episode. Well,
she’s the last of the main heroines, so I suppose it’s okay for there to be this
much content.
(Unfortunately, we’ll have to cut Kurogame’s main episode. Nobody will

probably complain about that. There’s no demand for her.)
With that, I set aside my thoughts.
“Koba! Three of these coffees for table one!”
“And go take table five’s order! Don’t forget to say ‘Welcome, Master,’ to
them!”

Class B was working themselves to the bone. Contrary to our expectations,
the “boys’ maid cafe” was really popular.
There was a long line in the hallway with a waiting time of more than twenty
minutes. Needless to say, there was a reason for how successful it was.
“Hey, that’s him, right? The one from the rumors!”
“Whoa! He really looks like a girl!”
“That’s a boy? And I thought I didn’t swing that way!”
That’s right. It was the star maid, Hinomori Ryuuga.
A large portion of the customers were male, and most of them came for
Ryuuga.
“Umm, two coffees and two cookies, you said? Please wait for a moment,
Master.”
A crossdressing boy quickly passed orders to the kitchen with the turn of a
frilly skirt…or at least, that’s what it looked like, but the person in question
was actually a girl disguised as a boy. I’m not sure what to say about that
myself.
I’ve seen her as a maid many times, but it still amazes me. Furthermore, her
customer service smile was perfect, perhaps deciding to go through the act.
Of course, her legs were smooth too.
(I suppose it’s only natural that it would become the talk of the town. Even if
people heard that she was a boy, they still would want to give her their phone
number.)
Elmira was assigned to the kitchen team for the afternoon. So, she’s taking
this morning to enjoy the school festival.
Shifts change just before noon, so those on shift right now plan on wandering
around later. In that sense, I guess I’m lucky to have the same shift as
Ryuuga.

(Come to think of it, Agito has the same shift as Elmira, doesn’t he? That is
to say, he’s free right now…)
Right as that came into my mind, Agito entered the classroom. Not as an
employee, but as a customer.
(Tsk, so he really did come.)
Thinking about it, it’s obvious. He was so supportive of the festival solely for
the sake of seeing maid Ryuuga. He even made a cease-fire agreement for it.
In a stroke of bad timing, Ryuuga was the one who had to attend to the empty
seat Agito took. There are five maids. How can a guy be so lucky…? Perhaps
he really does have the qualities of a protagonist?
“Why are you here as a customer…? Didn’t you already see me as a maid in
the morning?”
Ryuuga crudely placed a cup of coffee in front of Agito, not even asking for
his order. She had a particularly grumpy face.
Not minding the unwelcome reception, the perverted gentleman stared

intensely at Ryuuga from head to toe. It seems that Ryuuga with a cat-eared
headband was as pleasing as he expected.

“Hinomori, I’ve dreamed of seeing you like this. I no longer care if I die.”
Stop. What will happen to part three if you die?
“There are a lot of guests waiting in the hallway, so just drink your cup and
get out. While you’re at it, transfer schools.”
“You’re supposed to start with ‘Welcome, Master.’ You have to carry out
your professional duties.”
Unable to argue, Ryuuga grumbled. The way she glared at Agito in contempt
made it seem like “that” kind of service.
“W, welcome, Master…”
“Aright, next you say ‘How much sugar do you want in your coffee?'”
“How much sugar…do you want in your coffee?”
“Alright, next you say ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll stir it with a spoon, nyan.'”
“If you don’t mind…I’ll stir it with a spoon…nyan.”
Ryuuga followed protocol with a dejected mood. At the very least, she
showed some resistance through her pronouns.TLNAgito’s directions use the
“watashi” pronoun while Ryuuga keeps using “ore.”
“Alright, next you say ‘Or instead, please stir up my insides, Master. Please
pour in your thick milk. Mmnn,’ to me.”
“Don’t make me dump coffee onto you!”
This is bad. As I thought, our protagonist is being subjected to sexual

harassment.
I want to help, but I need to carry out my duties as a maid. New customers
arrived, so I have to get their orders.
(Ryuga, bear with it for a bit longer. Once you take his order, let’s switch

customers. I’ll take care of Agito.)
With that in mind, I gave water to the two new customers──and immediately
froze.
I knew the two very well. They were a wild kuro gyaru with silver hair, and a
giant monk with a muscular body.
“Y, you two…!”
They were part of “Hell’s Top Eight,” Banshou Shima and Kaishou Saihiru.
They were cheetah and beetle apostles who served Qiongqi.
“Hey Kobaichi, nice outfit. Two coffees, please. I brewed a cup for you back
at the apartment, so consider returning the favor.”
“Kobayashi Ichirou, I advise against that leg hair.”
I quickly glanced behind me to find that Agito was still keeping Ryuuga
busy. It seems that he’s completely unaware of the situation here.
“You guys know that we’re supposed to have a cease-fire during the school
festival, right? Why are you here? Did Agito order you to do this?”
“We did get admission tickets from him, but that has nothing to do with this.
We just came here for fun.”
“The cease-fire is Qiongqi’s strict order. We will not break it.”
Despite being enemy characters, they came here for fun…could it be that
they also got infected with comedy by being involved with me? Did the
Kobayashi virus reach their innards?
“Listen, don’t cause any trouble, okay? Also, don’t get involved with Ryuga.
If you reveal your true forms, there won’t be a school festival anymore.”
“Haha. We won’t make that kind of mistake. Of course, even Agito was told
not to get involved with Hinomori Ryuuga in this school.”

“Also, if you’re going to come here, do it in the afternoon. You’ll get to see
maid Agito.”
“I don’t want to see that. Between you and me, I don’t really like that guy. He
keeps nitpicking my guitar playing, you see.”
“Stop, Shima. Agito is Qiongqi’s vessel. I advise against that reckless

remark.”
As I looked at Qiongqi’s vessel once more, I saw Ryuuga smacking him with
her tray. She seemed to discover that he was trying to look under her skirt
with a hand mirror attached to the tip of his shoe.
“What are you doing, Hinomori? You’re not supposed to be angry, you’re
supposed to be delighted.”
“There’s no way I would be delight! Hurry up and drink, even if it’s

scalding!”
“I command you as the master. Feed me mouth-to-mouth.”
“W, who would do that?! Let me say this clearly, I hate you!”
“Again with that half-hearted response…well, how about listening to one

request of mine, and then I’ll leave in exchange? No more joking, this is a
serious and urgent request.”
“W, what?”
“Give me your panties.”
“Is there a police officer here?!”
While I dejectedly stared at their conversation, the kuro gyaru chuckled with
amusement. Before I knew it, she stood on her chair and put her hand around
my shoulder in an over-familiar manner.
“Is this the type of store that endorses this kind of conduct? In that case, let
me get in on the fun too~.”

“Stop, Shima. I advise against your current level of physical contact.”
“Or perhaps, you want to be on the aggressive, Kobaichi? If you can guess
the color of my panties, how about I take them off and give them as a
present?”
“Stop, Shima. I advise against that underwear guessing game. One vote for
black.”
…About ten minutes passed.
After everything Ryuuga and I had to deal with, the enemy characters of part
three finally left the shop. Fortunately, Ryuuga didn’t seem to notice the two
apostles.
(Good grief, that sucked away all of my energy…and it’s still morning.)
However, there were still thirty minutes until the end of the shift. There’s no
sign of the customers stopping, so there’s no room to take a breather.
Ryuuga readied herself and moved towards the next customer.
This time it was just one young man. For some reason, he wore a concealing
hat, had a pair of sunglasses, and was strangely nervous. It’s obvious that
he’s a suspicious customer.
“Welcome, Master. Have you decided on an order, nyan?”
Maid Ryuuga regained her customer service smile.
The suspicious man observed her closely and coughed. Wait, could it be…?
“U, um, one coffee…and please add ten servings of love.”
“Understood. How much sugar do you want?”
“Just the love is fine. Also, I heard earlier that…I could get your panties for
take-out?”

“We don’t have that kind of service! Or rather, it’s you, isn’t it, Taotie?!”
“H, how did you know?!”
“It’s obvious! That’s the exact same disguise Ichirou had when he and I
followed Rei on her date!”
As I thought, it was Taotie. He emerged without me even being aware…
Hey, don’t stick a hand mirror to the end of your shoe. You’ll get smacked
with a tray.

Part 2
Despite being met with misfortune, I managed to somehow finish my shift.
Released from maid work, Ryuuga and I went around the school together as
planned.
Taotie already withdrew as well. Apparently, he no longer had any business

with the school festival after seeing cat-eared maid Ryuuga. In the end, she
found out about the mirror and smacked him with a tray.
“What should we do, Ryuga? Where do you want to start?”
“For the time being, how about we take a look at class C next door? Oh…
right, Ichirou.”
We changed back into our regular boys’ uniforms and left class B together.
Ryuuga suddenly knit her brows and spoke.
“I just want to confirm something. Shima was a customer back there, right?
She was Tenryouin’s friend who we met at the bowling alley.”
“Y, yeah. She just came for fun.”
“Furthermore, that begging monk we met some time ago was also with her,
right?”
I planned on keeping quiet on it, but it seems she saw them…well, I suppose
it’s unreasonable to expect a conspicuous couple to go unnoticed. It’s fine as
long as she doesn’t realize their true forms.
“What kind of relationship do those two have? I don’t understand…”
“I, it seems that they live in the same apartment building. Perhaps they’re

even dating.”
“A monk living in an apartment? Going out with a high school girl? Isn’t that
bad, both religiously and ethically?”
“I’m sure he’s just cosplaying as a monk. He probably has some other kind of
occupation.”
While I covered up the situation, we entered class C. I believe Yukimiya’s

class is running a “matchmaking game.”
…Though, it seems that we came at a bad time. Yukimiya wasn’t there since
she had the afternoon shift. Furthermore, we had to wait until we reached a
certain number of people.
Currently, there were three guys who wanted to participate. However, there
were no women. At this point, there’s no knowing when the event will start.
“Hey, Ryuga. Yukimiya isn’t here, so let’s just go to the next one.”
“Right. We only came here to look. We’re already a couple, aren’t we?”
With a stiff smile in response to Ryuuga’s smooth words, we were about to

leave class C.
Right then, another guy entered, seemingly wanting to participate too. He

was a very flashy Oumei schoolboy with bleached hair and a star-shaped
earring.
“S, Sasaki?!”
The moment I saw him, I spontaneously shouted.
He was Sasaki Yousuke, a third-year student. The one who’s the secretary of
the student council, enrolled in Getsushiyoukan, and once tried to hit on
Mion. That Sasaki.
“Oh, Kobayashi? What, you came to the matchmaking game as well?”

Noticing me, Sasaki laughed mockingly.
Ryuuga seemed a bit upset, but I was relieved. Good, he had the same
reaction as always. It seems that he still sees me as a trivial small fry.
“Perhaps you wanted to be part of a couple, even if it’s just in a game? Give
up. With that face of yours, there’s no way you’d be popular with──”
“Sasakiiii! It’s been a long time!”
Glad that I was looked down on, I couldn’t hold back the urge to hug Sasaki.
“Whoa! What are you doing?! Disgusting!”
“You’re the only one! You’re the only one who scorns me, looks down on
me, and despises me!”
“What’s with your dialect?! Get off of me!”TLNKobayashi spoke with a

Kansai dialect to him.
“Oh…r, right. I, of all people, carelessly revealed my subconscious reaction.

Let me correct myself…who are you calling unpopular?! Don’t get too
cocky, damn it!”
“You’re starting to frighten me…”
Then came the nuisances who ruined our reunion.
Schoolgirls from class C stepped forward and called out to us.
“Um, it looks like there’s six guys, so we’re going to start the game. Sorry
about this, but us class C staff will have to be the female group.”
Six people? In other words, the three guys who were here before us, Sasaki,
Ryuuga, and me? Furthermore, all of the girls are just there to fill the seats?
“Hey, that can’t be right~. This is completely rigged, isn’t it…? Since this is
class C, shouldn’t that girl be here? The super-cute Yukimiya──”

It happened the moment Sasaki raised his voice in displeasure.
“Wait for me. I’ll participate in that game too!”
“Same here, I’ll join too.”
Suddenly, two girls jumped into the classroom.
One of them was the scarlet, wavy-haired vampire girl who was as popular as
Yukimiya. She seemed to have been walking around the campus since she
wasn’t on her shift.
The other was a sidetailed heron girl wearing a sailor suit that wasn’t from
here, and whose most charming features were her strong-willed eyes.
(I can understand Elmira, but why is Mion here?!)
I was shocked, but next to me, Ryuuga was as well.
Oh, right. The last time the three princesses appeared in front of Ryuuga was
during the battle at the cemetery. Though, they narrowly missed each other at
the supermarket.
“M, Mion! Why are you here?! We have so many questions we need to
ask──”
The second daughter of the three princesses held Ryuuga back with a hand
when she understandably tried to approach.
“Leave it for later, Hinomori Ryuuga. Now then, start the game at once. I’ll
prove here that the ‘Three Princesses of Hell’ will never take Joshima’s
position!”TLNThis sentence definitely references a person named Joshima,
though I’m not too sure who. My best guess in the context of the situation is
Joshima Shigeru, the leader of popular idol group Tokio, who despite nearing
50 years old, hadn’t married anyone at the time of this novel’s release (he got
married in 2019 though).
“Oh, you think you can beat me? How absurd, Mion. Do your best to not
suffer humiliation.”

Seeing two beauties suddenly appearing, Sasaki and the other guys were
energetic and raised cries of “Oooooh!”
“Seriously?! It’s Mion, the one I failed to charm before! And even Elmira’s
here! No way, which one should I choose?!”
“I’m glad that I’m here! To think that two cute girls would come!”
“Sailor suits are the best! I’ll definitely have that girl!”
“A foreigner! A red-haired foreigner!”
The first stage of the matchmaking game began, and we could no longer
withdraw. Ryuuga seemed to reluctantly accept the situation as well.
Twelve participants sat down and faced each other with a desk between them.
There was an old man among the guys. Perhaps his grandchild attends this
school.
“I’ll definitely be a couple with either Mion or Elmira…since Kazuhiko came

here with his girlfriend…I can show off my own girlfriend and make fool out
of him.”
Sasaki’s really eager. If I recall correctly, Kazuhiko is Aogasaki’s childhood

friend. He’s currently enrolled in Getsushiyoukan, but he’ll return to the
Aogasaki dojo once he completes his university entrance exam.
“Let’s start! Men, ask as many questions as you want!”
With the cue of a nearby girl acting as the host, the male group began
speaking in great vigor.
“Mion! Why don’t we have some tea at the maid cafe next door? We can also
go to the yakisoba shop my class is doing! I won’t let a girl pay for meals!”
“So your name is Elmira? This is the first time we’ve met, but I’ve liked you
for a long time!”

“Mion! Even if you weren’t human, I would still choose you!”
“Red-haired foreigner! I’m going to call you Elmi!”
As expected, all of the focus was on Elmira and Mion. The seat-fillers from
class C were also glad that the game was so exciting for them.
“Ho ho ho, this is troubling. I’m already a parent, you know?”
The vampire, despite not seeming troubled at all, feigned naivety. Also, don’t
say that you’re a parent.
“Hmm~, what should I do? Despite how I look, I’m a housewife~.”
The heron general feigned friendliness. Leaving the matter of Shizuma aside,
do apostles even like festivals?
While Ryuuga and I remained uninvolved, the matchmaking battle for

women continued.
Despite it being just a game, the guys were desperate. I heard that a
“matchmaking game” is a traditional attraction at Oumei High School, and
that sometimes the couples become genuine.
…Then, sitting beside me, Ryuuga whispered in my ear.
“Ichirou, don’t pick Elle or Mion. Pick one of the seat-fillers from class C.”
“Huh?”
“Even as a game, this isn’t amusing.”
Her warning didn’t matter. I already had my choice in mind.
“──Now then, it’s finally nomination time! Please write the name of your
desired one on the paper in your hand! If the love is mutual, then you’re a
couple!”
After 15 minutes of conversation, the host announced as such. It’s finally

time to announce the results.
(Not good, my heart rate’s starting to quicken…it must be because my

feelings are somewhat genuine…)
Twelve people held out sheets of paper, as per the host’s instructions.
As for the results──only one couple was established.
Firstly, all of the seat-filler girls from class C wrote Ryuuga’s name. Elmira
and Mion wrote my name.
On the other hand, Sasaki and the rest of the guys were equally split between
Elmira or Mion. My choice for Sasaki was vetoed for the reason that “I got
the intent of the event wrong.”
Lastly, Ryuuga made the safe choice by writing the name of one of the seat-
fillers, Goutokuji. Which also means that──they wrote each other’s names.
“There you have it! A couple has been made! Give your applause for
Hinomori and Goutokuji!”
While everyone dully clapped, Ryuuga had an expression of regret. On the

other hand, Goutokuji had a face of satisfaction and raised her fist into the air
while yelling “Alright!”
Goutokuji Takeko. 170 cm tall and weighing at 80 kg. A catcher in the

softball club and a firm fourth batter since last year. She’s had a total of thirty
home runs.
“Why, Mion?! Why didn’t you pick me?! Damn it, Kobayashi! Why are you
so popular?!”
“Kobayashi Ichirou! What were you thinking, not picking me?! What kind of
explanation are you going to give to Shizuma?!”
“Ichirou! I believed in you! After all, I had the position of the first wife…so
why did you need Sasaki to steal that role from me?!”

“Actually, Ichirou! Why did you pick a boy?! If you were going to do that,
then you should have written down Hinomori Ryuuga! You cheater!”
For some reason, everyone criticized me. They even threw pens at me.
I didn’t think this would be such a brutal game. I just wanted to make
acquaintances with Sasaki…I just wanted to get a laugh out of him…
When I was on the verge of having to apologize for the unreasonable, the
host suddenly clapped.
“Oh, it seems that the next participants are here! Now then, this game is over!
Hinomori and Goutokuji, congratulations!”
…Shortly afterwards, Sasaki ran off from the classroom, on the verge of
tears.
Elmira and Mion stated that they would be “comfort eating,” and
disappeared.
Furthermore, Goutokuji abducted Ryuuga and went off somewhere.

Part 3
When I left class C while at a loss, I received a message from Ryuuga.
It seems that she’ll be walking around the school with Goutokuji for a bit.
She probably couldn’t refuse the invitation from her in person. As usual,
she’s a protagonist who’s easily pressured.
(I’m so exhausted. I didn’t think that Goutokuji would hijack Ryuga…but, I

shouldn’t get in the way of their mini-date. I don’t want to face Goutokuji’s
Hokuto Gosho Ha.)TLNThis a reference to Fist of the North Star. Hokuto
Gosho Ha is a palm attack.
After thinking for a while, I decided to check with second-year Class E,

where Kurogame is. I’m pretty sure her class is doing a “haunted house.”
Since Ryuuga’s not good with monsters, if she enters the class, she might
accidentally reveal her identity as girl. That being the case, now would be the
time to visit this place…that’s my conclusion.
(Come to think of it, where did Shima and Saihiru go? If they come across
Mion, things might get troublesome. Perhaps I should look for them.)
Proceeding through a crowded hallway, second-year Class E came into view.
“Oh, Kobayashi.”
Coincidentally, Yukimiya was there. It seems that she came to see Kurogame
as well.
“Hey, Yukimiya. Are you free right now?”
“Yes, weren’t you with Hinomori, Kobayashi?”

“Unfortunately, Ryuga’s been blocked by a catcher.”
Not understanding, Yukimiya tilted her head to the side, so I explained the
details of the “matchmaking game” to her.
When she heard me mention Mion’s name, she had a very apologetic
expression.
“I’m sorry, Kobayashi. I’m the one who gave Mion an admission ticket.”
“I, is that so?”
“Yes, she really wanted one at any cost…so I gave my two tickets to Mion
and Kiki.”
“So that bobbed-haired girl is here as well…?”
Not everyone can visit Oumei High School’s school festival. Only those with
admission tickets can enter the school.
Each student receives two tickets, and they’re free to give them to anyone.
Saihiru and Shima probably got their tickets from Agito. Mion and Kiki got
theirs from Yukimiya.
Oh, and Jyuri doesn’t need a ticket. After all, she’s the school nurse.
“By the way, Yukimiya. Is Tao remaining quiet right now?”
“Yes. Just earlier, I let her eat two chocolate bananas. Then, I promised that I
would let her eat yakisoba as well.”
Isn’t she spoiling her a bit too much? Though, it’s all going into Yukimiya’s
stomach…
While I was thinking about such things, Yukimiya suddenly lowered her gaze
with a gloomy mood.
“Sebastian…really is at Qiongqi’s place, isn’t he? Thinking about it, today’s

the day his holiday’s supposed to be over.”

Yukimiya uttered those words while still looking down.
…Come to think of it, Renie applied for a one week holiday as Sebastian,
didn’t he? Given the situation, it’s likely that he will resign right afterwards.
Furthermore, the end of that one week holiday also signifies the end of the
cease-fire with Qiongqi. If that “Shota Evil Spirit” makes a move, Renie
might do something as well. Part three starts tomorrow.
“I believe you and Hinomori are in the same situation as well, but…my
parents are busy with their work, so they rarely come home.”
As Yukimiya continued to ponder, she caught the attention of many guys

passing by.
However, nobody tried to speak to her. They probably judged from her facial
expression that she wasn’t in the mood to deal with people trying to hit on
her.
“It’s all thanks to Sebastian that I didn’t feel lonely. He would always tell my
parents ‘For the Young Lady’s sake, please return to the mansion, even if it’s
a bit of a hassle.’ Was that really…just an act?”
While I didn’t say anything, Yukimiya looked up and stared at me with

serene eyes.
“Do you remember, Kobayashi? Once, you accompanied us to a boat party,

right? You were there under the pretense of a novice butler.”
“Yeah, of course I remember.”
“Sebastian said that he wanted to raise a successor as soon as possible…and

those words were genuine. At that time, he might have already been thinking
about──leaving my side.”
“Say, Yukimiya. Speaking of which, there’s one thing I’d like to confirm.”
While staring at Yukimiya as she bit her lip, I asked her a question instead of
replying to her thoughts.

This is something I should’ve asked earlier. I already told her that I met
Renie at the supermarket.
“Confirm? What is it?”
“This is something I only noticed recently, but Renie has a ring of beads on
his right index finger. Could that be…?”
“Yes, it’s a ring I gave him. I made it when I was still in elementary school…
I told him many times that he could take it off, but he kept saying ‘This is
important,’ to me.”
I thought so.
A handmade toy ring isn’t something a butler from a large company would
wear. It was a present from Yukimiya, and Renie is still wearing it.
(Now that it’s come to this, things are just getting more complicated…does
Renie really see Yukimiya as Tao’s vessel and nothing else? Did he really
abandon his identity as Sebastian?)
That spider apostle is trying to get on Qiongqi’s good side…that’s for sure.
However, in the end, I’m not really sure what Renie’s true motives are. It
seems too hasty to regard him as an enemy character and defeat him when
things are so confusing.
If possible, I’d like “Yukimiya Shiori’s side story” to conclude with Renie
coming back. It would be nice, albeit perhaps too convenient.
I don’t want this episode to end with Yukimiya crying──those are my honest
feelings.
“Yukimiya, it seems we should try to speak with Renie again. You should
throw your thoughts at him.”
“Huh? B, but…”
“Like Elmira said, don’t give up. If you give up, the episode will end there.

It’ll be fine, I’ll do something about it.”
“This is my own selfish desire, I shouldn’t bother you with it…”
“I said it already at the arcade, didn’t I? I’ll definitely resolve your problem.
It’s not just about Tao now, it’s also about Renie too. I have a wide range of
measures for any unlikely incident or trouble…that’s my motto.”
I spoke like an insurance salesman to Yukimiya, who frowned and sighed

with discomfort. For a peace of mind, I recommend Kobayashi Support.
“I will definitely bring Renie to you. Even if I have to drag him.”
“But…”
“Even if I have to beat him, trick him, swap him with a random foreigner
walking on the street, I will definitely bring him to you. Leave it to
Kobayashi Support for reliance and results!”
“That sounds fishy! That Kobayashi Support!”
Though Yukimiya retorted, she let out a chuckle.
Her sweet smile caught me off guard. If she participated in the “matchmaking
game” as well, perhaps the vampire and heron apostle would lose to her.
“Though, you have a point. I also said something when we were at the
arcade. I decided that I would follow your orders…since you’re my
‘exclusive advisor.'”
“Right. While we’re at it, please listen to my cooking advice.”
“I’m fine on cooking. I’m confidant that my cooking is at a three-star level.”
“Yeah, three death stars!”
“Y, you’re cruel! My cooking has Taotie’s seal of approval!”
Yukimiya, regaining her energy, hit me.

In front of me, a girl I recognized with short hair appeared.
“Oh, it’s Ii and Shio! Did you come to our haunted house?”
Sure enough, it was Kurogame. Apparently, she’s in charge of the reception

and wasn’t dressed up as a monster.
An excellent decision, in my opinion. Such a cheerful, noisy person isn’t fit

for the role of a monster.
“It’ll only take five minutes! Then you’ll be bantamweight levels of scared!”
“That’s scary?”
While I was frowning, Yukimiya grabbed me by the hand, stood at the end of
the line, and said “Now then, let’s go inside while we still have the chance
to.”
Though, there were only two people waiting. It’s fortunate that it’ll be noon
soon, so customer traffic has decreased.
(I did originally intend to come here, so I guess I’ll enjoy the scene with
Yukimiya. It’s sad that Goutokuji snatched Ryuga though…)
Though unfortunately, things went a little differently than I thought.
It seems that people have to enter the haunted house one at a time. It was a
strict measure to prevent couples from chatting and giggling.
“How unfortunate. I wanted you to be my escort, but…well, pardon me for

going first.”
After a bow, Yukimiya headed into the dark room.
Kurogame’s voice as she said “We’ll show you the way~,” was clearly not
suited for a haunted house. She sounded like someone in a restaurant.
Making use of the brief waiting time, I continued thinking about measures
towards the spider apostle.

(For now, I think we should postpone trying to persuade him to coexist with
humanity. Setting that aside, the important thing is to stop his alliance with
Qiongqi.)
Renie is trying to partner with Qiongqi because Tao’s faction isn’t strong
enough.
His subordinates are in a different world and there’s no way to call them
over.
That being the case, what about negotiating with Hundun to have him open a
door to the spirit world and call together those subordinates? Would Renie
reassess his plan if he gains a bit of strength against Qiongqi?
(Shizuma’s job will be easier if the number of apostles in the spirit world
decreases. We need him to seize control over the spirit world before Qiongqi
notices…)
When I got to that point, my thoughts were interrupted.
There was suddenly a large shriek coming from Class E’s room. It was the
very familiar sound of the “Inelegant Evil Spirit.”
“Dohyaaaah! Somethin’ popped out!”
It was Tao. I already knew it was Tao. That idiot, she appeared without
permission again!
Next, there were the sounds of banging, things falling over, and objects
collapsing. Then, without the slightest delay, several students dressed as
monsters tumbled into the hallway, one after the other.
“S, something appeared!”
“A monster popped out!”
“A giant ghost woman, like Sadako!”
Seeing the Class E staff panic, Kurogame was confused.

“W, what happened, everyone?! Of course something would pop out! It’s a
haunted house!”
“Not that, Rina! The real thing appeared! A real one with no legs!”
“Is it because we didn’t do a proper exorcism?!”
“This is a school festival, there’s no way this place can be cursed!”
Entrusting the shivering monsters to Kurogame, I immediately rushed into

the classroom.
In the darkness, closed off by thick curtains, I advanced while cautious of

toppled desks and chairs…thereupon finding Yukimiya.
The idol of the school stood with her head hanging down, as if her soul had
been sucked out. And behind her──
The “giant ghost woman,” who appeared twenty years old, with strange long
hair and a thin black dress over her frail body, appeared.
“Hey, Tao! You know that you shouldn’t appear! Withdraw now!”
“I, Ichirou…I’m scared…I’m scareeeed!”
“You’re the one that’s scary!”
Turning towards me, Tao (in her battle form) had her long bangs covering her
face. However, looking into her eyes from the gaps between her hairs, there
was an eerie glow.
In terms of visual fright, she’s the “Evil Spirit” at the top. Though, that
crumbles down when she talks.
“I’m fine with apostles, but monsters ain’t no good…”
“There’s no difference between them!”
“My feet are frozen in place…”

“You don’t even have feet!”
“And for some reason, I got heartburn goin’ on…”
“That’s because you ate two chocolate bananas!”
“Ah, right. In times like these, ya gotta divert the fear by dancin’. Ichirou,
watch my Soran Bushi from over there.”TLNSoran Bushi is a famous
traditional song and dance, often associated with fishing.
“That’s too surreal! Sadako doing the Soran Bushi!”
…Not much time passed afterwards. I somehow managed to calm down Tao
and have her withdraw into Yukimiya.
I then carried Yukimiya to the infirmary since she fainted. I told Kurogame
and the others that “There was no Sadako, Kayako, or Hanako.”TLNIf you
don’t remember, Sadako is the girl from The Ring. Kayako is the girl from
The Grudge. Hanako is a reference to a Japanese urban legend about the
spirit of a young girl who haunts school bathrooms.
(Come to think of it, wasn’t Tie bad with monsters as well? He once saw a
horror movie and couldn’t go to the restroom alone for a while.)
Keep your calm, “Evil Spirits.”
Well, our protagonist isn’t good with monsters either.

Part 4
“Man, that was tough. Goutokuji just wouldn’t let me go…”
It just turned to noon.
Ryuuga and I were finally able to meet up again, so the two of us walked
down the hallway towards the schoolyard.
Yukimiya woke up around ten minutes after I brought her to the school
infirmary. She knew that Tao came out, and she didn’t seem to have any
physical problems.
Since she has to work as part of the staff for the “matchmaking game”
starting from noon, she hurried towards class C. Immediately afterwards, I
luckily came across Ryuuga.
“That reminds me, where did Mion go? I couldn’t speak with her in the
end…”
“I, I also looked around for her, but I couldn’t find her. Well, it seems that
she’s with Elmira, so it should be fine, right? I’ll let Tie look for her.”
“Alright. Leaving that aside, let’s go, Ichirou. Rei’s hero show is about to
begin.”
We were heading to the schoolyard so that we could see Aogasaki’s

performance.
Third-year class A was doing a “costumed hero show,” and the performance
would begin soon. Apparently, the show’s about twenty minutes long and
occurs every hour.
(Aogasaki’s also the leading hero, right? Combine that with the band

practice, and these past few days must have been tough for her.)
For Aogasaki, a third-year student, this is her last school festival. I suppose
she decided to go all out so that she wouldn’t leave behind any regrets.
(If her acting ability is good, the path to being an actress might open up for
her as well…her looks are perfect, anyhow.)
While arbitrarily considering the “Swordswoman of the Beheading Dance’s”

career paths, we arrived at the special stage in the schoolyard.
A large audience had already gathered at the seats. Nearly two hundred
folding chairs were filled.
Even after we managed to secure two seats, more people still came in. There
seemed to be repeat customers as well.
(It’s quite popular…I suppose it’s thanks to Aogasaki that many of the guests
are male, isn’t it?)
Finally, even standees appeared, and at the front row, a group of small
children eagerly waited for the show to start.
“Rei says that they’re pulling out all the stops. Her classmates have
connections with an event company and managed to borrow monster
costumes.”
“Huh…as expected of the third-years.”
Thereupon, with the sound of rich music, the curtains opened.
Immediately, four monsters appeared, kicking down miniature towns and

causing a rampage. The children were excited by the quality of the costumes,
as they exceeded the level expected of a school festival.
There wasn’t really a story, but I suppose that’s asking for too much. I guess
you can call the event a success, given that they managed to prepare four
monsters.

(What’s left are the hero’s action scenes. No matter what, the most important
thing is the how cool the main character is.)
I was on the edge of my seat, thinking that now would be a good time for an
appearance.
“That’s as far as you’ll go, monsters! I will not tolerate your violence any
longer!”
With a gallant shout, smoke grandly appeared on the stage.
The audience muttered “Ooh,” in astonishment. Ryuuga and I did the same as
well.
Before long, the smoke cleared away──and there stood the tall, well-
proportioned figure of a hero.
The hero wore a full face helmet and a bodysuit with armor covering the
shoulders and limbs. With the flip of a cloak, a hand revealed the familiar
“Blade of the Sacred Tree.”
Yep. No matter how I look at it, it’s Aogasaki. Her distinct body shape makes
it apparent, not to mention the weapon she’s carrying. Even bikini models
wouldn’t have a bust and waist that admirable.
“The Masked Azure Dragon has arrived! Invaders of Earth, become but mere
rust on my blade!”
Masked Azure Dragon…that sounds a little too familiar. Was there no time to
come up with a better name?
Well, I probably think it’s lousy since I know Aogasaki’s true identity.
In fact, the kids were cheering. Their fathers and older brothers were also
applauding. Though, perhaps they were just delighted to see the Masked
Azure Dragon’s body.
“Here we go! Hiyah!”

With a graceful leap, the Masked Azure Dragon slashed one monster. There
was the sound effect of a slash accompanied by heroic background music.
“Ha!”
Next, the Masked Azure Dragon tossed her wooden sword high into the sky.
She kicked two approaching monsters while doing a backflip, did another
flip, and landed right on her feet.
Immediately following, she raised her right arm out and grabbed the wooden
sword as it fell. Seeing the rhythmic gymnastics-like feat, the audience was in
an uproar.
“A, amazing! This is better than any hero show!”
“Who is that girl?! Is she a genuine stunt performer?!”
“Her breasts were all over the place! They jiggled here and there!”
The audience gave a standing ovation. Ryuuga and I stood up and clapped as
well.
“That’s the Rei I know! How nimble!”
“The action was perfect. They certainly didn’t pick Aogasaki for the leading
role just for her chest…there’s no denying her superhuman abilities.”
Aogasaki continued fighting the swarming monsters with brisk movements

and grandiose poses. Whoops, I mean the Masked Azure Dragon did that.
…I suddenly noticed that three rows ahead of us, there were two people
wearing the Oumei High School uniform.
“Nice, Rei! Do your best!”
“Even though it’s a show, that’s some fascinating swordsmanship. As

expected of Aogasaki…”
One of them was Yamanashi Asao, son of the swordsmanship dojo

Getsushiyoukan. He’s the student council president and an ikemen who was
once possessed by Kanshou Balon to approach Aogasaki for marriage.
The other was Miyamoto Chizuru, who was appointed as the next student
council president, starting from November. She’s a talented swordswoman
who’s also affiliated with Getsushiyoukan, but she’s also entering the
Aogasaki dojo for now.
(At first glance, they seem like a well-suited couple, but I believe they’re
actually cousins, aren’t they?)
While recalling such things, I turned my focus towards the show.
Among the children near the front row, I saw a little girl who was especially
frantic.
Namely, a bobbed-haired girl who wore rainboots despite it being sunny

outside and carried a red pouch around her shoulder. There’s a girl in my
house who looks just like her. I even ate breakfast with her today.
(Is that…Kiki?!)
There’s no mistaking it. She’s the Hokkaido wolf apostle from my home.
Listening closely, it was clear that she wasn’t rooting for the Masked Azure
Dragon, but for the monsters.
“Don’t go one at a time! There are more of you, so work together!”
Seeing the monsters unable to do anything to the Masked Azure Dragon, the
bobbed-haired girl leaned forward while throwing criticism at them. She’s
just like a general.
“Now! A kick! The eyes!”
However, such advice was fruitless, and the monsters continued to get
knocked down. With the death cry of “Geeeeeh!” as a cue, they dropped
down near the stage wings.
“Have you realized it, monsters?! As long as the Masked Azure Dragon is

here, peace will remain on this──”
As the show neared its finale, Aogasaki began to shout her closing words.
“Don’t celebrate yet, Masked Azure Dragon! The fight isn’t over!”
Losing her temper over the state of the monsters, Kiki ended up entering the
stage.
The third daughter stared at Aogasaki while breathing roughly. Of all things,
she thrust her finger towards the Masked Azure Dragon, challenging her.
“The Masked Wolf will defeat the enemy of my comrades! Let’s have a fair
fight!”
“K, Kiki?! You don’t even have a mask on!”
Retorting to her for whatever reason, Aogasaki hurriedly tried to seize Kiki.
“Anyways, Kiki, come to the backstage for now! There’s something I want to
ask you three princesses!”
“I am called the Masked Wolf! You have no grace as a hero, you’re trying to
reveal my real identity! So, who are you?!”
“Did you come up without even realizing that it’s me? I’m, Aoga──”
“Stop talking!”
“You’re the who asked me a question!”
Kiki immediately kicked her feet off the ground. In an instant, she circled
around to Aogasaki’s back and unleashed her fists.
“Y, you’re quick…!”
Dodging the attacks by a paper-thin margin, the “Swordswoman of the

Beheading Dance” took a step back to gain some distance.

Closing that distance, Boushou continued to attack.
…Seeing the show suddenly start a second act, the audience members were
all confused. I was also flabbergasted. Next to me, Ryuuga was the same as
well.
“That’s enough, Kiki! Are the three princesses really turning against
humanity?!”
“No! I won’t forgive you for bullying my subordinates!”
“Those aren’t your subordinates, those are my classmates! Listen, this is just
a play!”
“The children won’t accept that!”
“Guh, what is your guardian doing?!”
My apologies. I guess I’m her guardian, aren’t I? I was careless.
Ryuuga, still shocked, absentmindedly muttered “Hey Ichirou…was Kiki a

third-year class A student?”
In contrast to us, the audience’s excitement heightened once more. It seems

that they think this battle is part of the show.
“Hey, this is greater than before!”
“Who is that little girl?! Is this the birth of a new stunt performer?!”
“She’s moving too fast to take a video!”
The audience’s enthusiasm rose in proportion to the intensifying battle on the

stage. In the end, people began chanting “Azure Dragon! Azure Dragon!” and
“Wolf! Wolf!”
“That little girl is capable…! I need her for Getsushiyoukan!”
“Let’s scout her later! While we’re at it, let’s kick out Sasaki!”

Yamanashi and Miyamoto both raised their voices in admiration. The
monsters on the stage wings were also amazed. Those two also nonchalantly
ridiculed my Sasaki.
…Of course, I know. I know that I need to stop the battle.
Meanwhile, the spectators continued making a racket. At this rate, this year’s
“hero show” will turn into an urban legend in Oumei High School.
(I don’t really want to stand out, but I need to intervene. For now, I’ll
introduce myself as the Masked Friend. Though, I won’t be wearing a mask.)
Making up my mind, I was about to run towards the stage.
Though, at that moment, Kiki slipped through the swing of a wooden sword
and leapt towards Aogasaki. The Masked Wolf clung to the Masked Azure
Dragon, causing the latter to shake uncontrollably.
“W, what are you doing?! Get off, Kiki!”
“Not a chance! Prepare yourself, Azure Dragon…hmm?”
Thereupon, Kiki began to rub Aogasaki’s breasts suspiciously. She

stubbornly squished and pressed them.
“This chest…you’re Aogasaki?!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Just to make sure, I’m checking your rear too…yeah, it’s Aogasaki.”
“Hyaaaan!”
The gallant Masked Azure Dragon, or rather Aogasaki, let out an unfamiliar
shriek. At that moment, her helmet came off and her identity was revealed.

──Afterwards, rumors of “the Masked Azure Dragon vs. the Masked Wolf”
spread across the whole school instantly.
Sure enough, it turned into an urban legend at Oumei High School.

Part 5
After 2 pm, her “matchmaking game” shift was finally over.
Yukimiya Shiori left class C and headed towards a yakisoba booth the third-
year students were doing. She made a promise to let Tao eat some.
She proceeded down the hallway of the third floor, politely declining the
usual invitations from the guys. Her stomach was a bit unsettled, likely due to
her eating two chocolate bananas.
(I wonder if my stomach can take yakisoba…I need to see Rei’s show

afterwards. It seems that reception for her performance during lunchtime was
very positive.)
On second thought, perhaps it would be better to go to the music room and

practice singing.
She had a band performance to do on the gym stage at half past three. She
wanted to succeed for the sake of the three princesses, especially Mion, who
helped her with practicing.
Of course, she also wanted to impress her “exclusive advisor.” Actually, that
was her biggest motivation.
(Kobayashi is quite close with Elmira and Mion, isn’t he…? Even Jyuri’s
flirting with him. He seems quite popular.)
That was understandable. After all, he was such a nice person.
──He battled against Getsushiyoukan for Aogasaki Rei’s sake.
──He took care of a child for Elmira McCartney’s sake.

──He took in the “Evil Spirit” Hundun for Hinomori Kyouka’s sake.
──And, he became a mediator with Sebastian for Yukimiya Shiori’s sake.
The boy named Kobayashi Ichirou is always running around for someone
else’s sake. Perhaps that’s why she was charmed by him. She remembered
the time when she regarded him as a “somewhat strange person” in the past.
(Despite what Kobayashi said…I can’t let him do everything for me in

regards to Sebastian. I have to face him myself.)
While making such a decision, she suddenly looked down at a window beside
her.
“!”
Shiori immediately halted her steps. She spotted two familiar figures on the
ground.
(Those two…!)
There was a tan high school girl who wore the uniform of another school,
having large breasts and silver hair.
There was also a muscular, giant man who dressed like a monk and carried a
bell in one hand.
Those distinct appearances couldn’t be mistaken. They were the “Evil Spirit”
Qiongqi’s subordinates who launched an attack at the cemetery before…
Banshou Shima and Kaishou Saihiru, part of “Hell’s Top Eight.”
(Why are those two here…?)
Shima and Saihiru left the school gates without noticing her gaze.
Upon confirming that it was them, Shiori immediately turned around and ran
down the stairs to follow them.
Normally, she would’ve contacted her companions. However, Shiori

immediately dismissed the idea.
Everyone was doing their best at the school festival right now. If Shima and
Saihiru were just leaving, then they likely weren’t going to cause trouble.
(In that case, going alone is enough. Above all, if everyone’s with me──then
I can’t ask about Sebastian.)
Shima and Saihiru might know his whereabouts.
Before she would tell her companions about Sebastian’s true identity, she
wanted to talk with him once more…that was her last wish. This was the last
time Yukimiya Shiori would be selfish on this matter.
She also prepared herself in case she couldn’t speak with him. She would
regard him as Rikushou Renie, not Sebastian, and defeat him. She wanted to
draw the line there.
(I sense a slight presence of ill wills. If I follow them…)
She made sure that her Kagura suzu, which could seal the movements of
apostles, was in the pocket of her uniform skirt.
Shiori left the school and ran down an alley.
Before long, Shiori arrived at an abandoned factory about 600 meters

southeast of the school.
Countless battles with the “Apostle of Hell” have occurred here. So, she had
a basic understanding of the interior layout. Though, the problem was that
there was no place to hide since it was empty.
(No, I don’t need to hide. I followed them to ask about Sebastian.)
Making up her mind, she stepped onto a plot of overgrown weeds.
“──Hey, Yukimiya Shiori. Did you need something?”

The peculiarities appeared from the factory entrance a few meters away. It
was as though they expected her.
“How careless of you to come alone. I advise against such rashness.”
The cheetah apostle and rhinoceros beetle apostle, already shifting into their
battle forms, approached her.
Could it be that they lured her here? Did they come to the school with that
intention?
“Well, the school festival was pretty fun. I went to Kobaichi and Hinomori
Ryuuga’s maid thing, Kurogame Rina’s haunted house, and Aogasaki Rei’s
hero show…come to think of it, I couldn’t go to your place. It was a
matchmaking game, right?”
“Stop it, Shima. I advise against your small talk.”
After criticizing his relaxed accomplice, Saihiru turned towards Shiori once
more.
“Yukimiya Shiori, let me say this. We are just here to lure you today, we are
witnesses.”
“Witnesses…?”
“Correct. The one who wanted to bring you here is──”
The rhinoceros beetle apostle turned around and stared at the factory
entrance.
Another man came out and slowly approached. He was an aging gentleman
who wore a tailcoat and had combed hair.
“Sebastian…”
Indeed. It was Shiori’s butler.
He was always with her since her birth and always prioritized Shiori as if he

was part of the family.
“Miss Shiori. I’m sorry for the trouble of bringing you here.”
Sebastian bowed and displayed his usual attitude. Though, Shiori noticed that
his voice lacked some warmth. That was likely intentional.
She didn’t have to guess why. She knew him better than anyone.
“Sebastian…are you the one who brought me here?”
“Yes, since you’ve been staying at Kobayashi’s home…I had difficulty

bringing you here alone. However, I knew that you would follow these two if
you saw them.”
“Didn’t you consider the possibility of me calling my companions?”
“I know your personality better than anyone. You tend to shoulder everything
by yourself.”
Sebastian passed through Shima and Saihiru to stand in front of Shiori.
She sensed his ill will for the first time, ferocious and villainous enough to
give her goosebumps.

“Miss Shiori. With all due respect, it is not you I have business with. Today,
I’d like to have a word with my lord, Taowu.”
“…What business do you have with Tao?”
“I’d like to propose an offer to meet with Qiongqi. I want to remind her of
her longstanding grudge as an ‘Evil Spirit.'”
“Why do you need to join hands with Qiongqi? Listen, Sebastian! You’ll
have to speak with me first before you can speak to Tao!”
“I’m no longer Sebastian. I am Rikushou Renie.”
“To me, you’re Sebastian! Even if you’re an ‘Apostle of Hell’!”
A white aura seethed from Shiori’s entire body in response to her agitation.
At the same time, a spirit tiger as white as snow manifested nearby as if to

protect her.
“Oh…your supernatural power has returned? Though, what do you intend to

do with your guardian deity? I, Renie, will not lose to the likes of the ‘White
Tiger.'”
Shiori stared at Sebastian with a tiny amount of ferocity as he frowned with

his moustache.
“Sebastian, I know that your actions are all for Tao’s sake. However, she and
I are the same.”
“In that case, be quiet and join us.”
“I can’t do that. Tao wants to reconcile with humanity. Making that wish
come true is what someone who truly understands her should do…that’s what
I think.”
“What do you know about my lord?”
In a matter of moments, Sebastian’s body began to transform.

He gained two new pairs of arms and turned into a peculiarity with a total of
six arms. His already muscular body grew even bigger and his skin turned
dark gray.
(Is this Sebastian’s true form?)
Including his legs, he had eight limbs…it was as she had heard, he was an
orb-weaving spider apostle. Shiori felt a tightness in her chest after seeing his
familiar form completely change.
“Miss Shiori. You should refrain from speaking as if you know my lord. You
are nothing more than Taowu’s vessel. Know your place.”
“If you know Yukimiya Shiori better than anyone else, then you should also
know that I have a surprisingly selfish personality.”
Shiori glanced at Sebastian’s index finger while holding out her hand to stop
the “White Tiger” from pouncing.
He wore a ring of beads, as Kobayashi Ichirou had said. What’s the meaning
behind him not removing it…? She wanted to confirm it if she could.
(But now’s no longer the time for that. Protecting Tao takes priority. I won’t
let that girl see Qiongqi.)
It’s necessary to leave open the option of running away if an emergency

arises. She only needed to avoid being driven to a corner.
Having three generals in one place was a serious matter. In particular, it

would be especially difficult to flee from the cheetah apostle’s legs.
“Haha. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Renie’s spider form. Why don’t
we help out? We just need to force her into Agito’s apartment, right?”
“Stop, Shima. We are only witnesses. Leave Qiongqi’s task to Renie. This is
to prove that he is our ally──”
At that moment, a pair of Sebastian’s arms buzzed.

Immediately following, the cheetah and rhinoceros beetle behind him were
entangled and rolled down. They took an attack from the spider apostle.
“I’m talking to Yukimiya Shiori right now. Outsiders will remain silent.”
Sebastian spoke with no change to his facial expression.
It was an attack so quick that Shiori couldn’t see it. This was the true power
of Rikushou Renie, said to be the strongest of the top eight…it was clearly
different from the previous “Apostles of Hell.”
“Ugh…hey, Renie! Don’t surprise attack us like that! Or rather, don’t hit me
in the face! I’m a gyaru!”
“Dealing with us in an instant, as expected of Rikushou Renie…leaving that

aside, Shima, get off of my body. You’re heavy and uncomfortable.”
“D, don’t be rude, you damn monk! Or rather, keep your face away from my
rear! For your information, I am not free! Pay me!”
“You’re the one using me as a cushion. I advise against such unscrupulous

practices.”
Ignoring his brethren fighting, Sebastian stepped towards Shiori.
…The battle would begin. Perhaps he would get injured, and perhaps she
would get injured as well. The palm that once stroked Shiori’s head would
today attempt to attack her.
Though Shiori had prepared herself, she couldn’t stop shaking.
(What good would it do if I hesitate now?! I am successor of one of the four

gods, the ‘White Tiger,’ aren’t I?! I have a mission to protect this world,
don’t I?!)
Mustering up her courage, she took out the Kagura suzu in her pocket.
──It’s alright, Shiori. I’ll take care of the rest.──

Suddenly, she heard a voice inside her head.
(Is that…you, Tao? Tao?)
The moment Shiori’s eyes widened as she asked that question internally, her
consciousness blacked out.

Part 6
The “White Tiger” stood beside Yukimiya Shiori, ready to pounce at any
moment.
The spirit tiger suddenly vanished and the “Shrine Maiden of Life’s”
presence completely changed. Renie had already sensed what happened.
(To think she’d come out now…)
Yukimiya Shiori raised her eyes and stared, though it wasn’t actually her.
It was none other than the lovable lord Rikushou Renie pledged allegiance to
since ancient times. In other words, it was one of the “Evil Spirits,” Taowu.
“Renie, ya said some more cruel things to Shiori, didn’t ya? Today’s the day
I oughta teach ya some manners.”
“Taowu…I thought the reports stated that you ate two chocolate bananas and
fell asleep.”
“Don’tcha treat me like a child. A small nap was all it was.”
The “Evil Spirit” Taowu shook her fist in anger.
Renie still wasn’t used to seeing Yukimiya Shiori in this form.
The “Evil Spirit” Taowu always chose females as vessels. Furthermore, they
were always intellectual, mature women or tidy, elegant beauties. Due to that,
each instance always resulted in a sense of dissonance like this.
At the end of the day, it would be a bit disrespectful for a subordinate to

suspect her of wanting to seem refined by possessing humans who held the
characteristics she lacked.

“Taowu, why do you idolize Yukimiya Shiori that much? A vessel is just a
vessel. For an ‘Evil Spirit,’ they are just containers.”
“That’s exactly somethin’ Qiong would say. An ‘Evil Spirit’ and vessel are
one in body and soul…they’d normally grow fond of each other.”
“Then supposing that a better vessel existed──what would you do?”
This was the main thing Renie wanted to ask.
However, Taowu brushed the matter aside with a snort.
“There ain’t no landlord better than Shiori. I’ve made up my mind. I’m gonna
be a child of the Yukimiya house.”
“That will not happen. The Yukimiya family carries a longtime enemy, the
‘White Tiger.'”
“They’re really rich, so it’s obvious they’d be keepin’ a tiger. Even on TV, ya
see them as carpets on front entrances.”
In response to Taowu’s words, the cheetah apostle and rhinoceros beetle

behind her whispered “Come to think of it, that does happen,” and “What
would you do if you became a carpet?” It seems they didn’t take enough of a
beating.
…Nevertheless, the situation was a bit unexpected.
He anticipated that Taowu would appear. However, Renie did not intend to
fight her. That was natural. In what world would a subordinate attack their
lord?
Though Taowu did appear, he planned on fighting someone else. That was
the objective of this day. So…where was that person and what were they
doing right now?
“Taowu, please listen to me. I am proud of my loyalty and am considering

the best path for──”

Still, Renie tried to persuade his lord.
“Again with that? You sure like your pride, taciturn butler.”
A clear voice flew from an alley and a young woman entered the site of the
abandoned factory.
She was a tall, sensual women who had glossy blonde hair and wore a white
gown. She walked up to Yukimiya Shiori’s side, and despite wearing high
heels, her footsteps made no noise.
(So she finally came? My optimal prey.)
Unaware of Renie’s thoughts, the woman with the white gown bowed to
Taowu.
“No need to bother yourself, Tao. One of the ‘Three Princesses of Hell,’
Jyuri, shall take care of this task.”
Genshou Jyuri. She’s the only opponent Renie fought with his entire strength
but couldn’t kill.
She’s the vixen-like apostle who refused to enter the top eight and won over
Ranshou Mion and Boushou Kiki to form a separate power in the spirit
world.
Indeed. She was the one Renie was waiting for.
It was neither Yukimiya Shiori nor Taowu who he wanted to lure──it was
this apostle.
Rikushou Renie was already in his battle form. Banshou Shima and Kaishou
Saihiru were as well.
Instead of greeting her brethren, who she hadn’t seen in a long time, Jyuri
switched to her battle form as well.

…In truth, she had been observing the situation for a while, so she had a
general grasp of the situation.
Jyuri was in charge of guarding Tao during school. Due to that, she couldn’t
enjoy the school festival and monitored Yukimiya Shiori the entire time. She
seemed quite serious about her work.
(So the two in the back are just witnesses? Anyhow, Renie’s pride wouldn’t
let him receive assistance. *sigh*…I missed my chance to suck on, err…eat a
chocolate banana.)
Moving her lower body, which had transformed into that of a serpent’s, Jyuri
got in front of Tao. It was a bit of a hassle for her to protect Yukimiya Shiori
with this form though.
“Now then, shall we begin, Renie? This time, I’ll knock you down and step
on you with my high heels.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Jyuri. From the very beginning, you were my
target.”
“Oh, is that so? Unfortunately, I’m not into spider guys.”
“You sure like to prattle, snake woman. I knew you were with Yukimiya
Shiori. Once I purge the three princesses, Qiongqi will form a lasting alliance
with Taowu…those were his words.”
“So, you’re going to start with me? In that case, you could have just called
me over like normal…what a dull spider you are.”
“Even for me, it would be quite difficult to tackle the ‘Three Princesses of
Hell’ at the same time. So, I used Taowu. Next will be Mion, then Kiki…I’ll
deal with you all one by one. Only after that will I ask my lord to accompany
me.”
A loyal subject using their lord as bait was quite unexpected.
However, the fact of the matter is that he managed to lure her using that bait.
Well, thanks to that though, she could settle things with this unlikeable guy.

“Jyuri, ya don’t need to keep Renie company. If ya get injured, I’d feel
mighty sorry for your lord, Tie.”
“Thanks for your concern, Tao. However, I am also Kobayashi Ichirou’s

subordinate. He has given us three princesses the duty of dealing with──”
Before Jyuri could finish, Renie was already right in front of her.
“!”
“Is this the time to be talking so carefreely?”
The spider apostle, instantly closing the distancing at an astonishing speed,

moved his six great arms. Predicting that his opponent would try to evade his
attacks, he launched his fists in every direction to prevent her from dodging.
“Gah, hah!”
The king cobra apostle was faced with Renie’s repeated blows to the face,
throat, chest, and stomach.
It seems he wouldn’t go easy on a woman. There’s no need to since his

opponent was a “general.” She said it herself. The moment she asked “Now
then, shall we begin?” was when the fight began.
“Genshou Jyuri! You’ve repeatedly mocked my pride, and for that, you will
pay with your life!”
──By the time he unleashed one hundred blows, his opponent had already
stopped moving.
Her beautiful figure was no longer recognizable, becoming a miserable pile

of flesh lying down on the floor. Her neck and limbs were bent in unnatural
directions, and she slowly began to vanish.
(I’ve made no mistakes. All of my attacks hit her vital points.)
Though it ended sooner than he thought, it seemed that this was the result of

hitting her weak spots. Apostles who die in the human world will resurrect in
the spirit world. Due to that, they can kill each other with much less
hesitation than a human.
There was no need to lure Mion or Kiki. Once they hear that he killed Jyuri,
they would do everything in their power to take revenge and would come to
him.
All that was left was to confront them. At least, that was what Renie thought.
However, the air behind him swayed slightly.
Noticing that, Renie instinctively recognized the danger.
“Unh!”
As soon as he turned around, a serpent tail came flying towards him.
Though he immediately guarded himself using two of his left arms, the
impact reached Renie’s body. The arms he used to defend himself cracked,
and he found that their bones were broken.
“I’ve changed my mind about you, Renie. You’re surprisingly good at solo
dancing.”
“Jyuri, you…”
Renie maintained a distance and readjusted his posture, scowling at his

attacker.
There stood the king cobra apostle, who he thought he had killed, chuckling
while uninjured.
…He already understood what happened. It was as she had said, he was
dancing alone.
“An illusion? What cheap tricks…”
“Let me tell you something. Those who dominate the battle in the beginning

will often find themselves being countered…those were Ichirou’s words.”
The half-human, half-serpent woman brushed her blonde hair and stuck out
her tongue. As expected of Genshou…it was the first time Renie completely
fell for her tricks.
“My skills work well on men for some reason. That’s especially true for
middle-aged men.”
“Sorry, but don’t expect that to work twice. Those who show their skills in
the beginning will often lose…that’s also part of combat theory.”
“Is that so? This has been a learning experience.”
The king cobra apostle and orb-weaving spider apostle confronted each other,
ready to attack once more.
The cheetah apostle and rhinoceros beetle apostle watched the scene from a
distance.
“Haha. Jyuri’s quite something, isn’t she? She led Renie around by the nose.”
“The three princesses all have the highest strength among generals.
Underestimating them would be fatal.”
“Hey, Saihiru. Just watching is boring, so why don’t we bet who will win?”
“Stop, Shima. Betting is unscrupulous. I advise against such a gambling

mindset.”
“Well, I think it’ll be Renie.”
“Listen to others. Such behavior is exactly why you’re not allowed to be part
of the three princesses.”
“I, I rejected their invitation! Do you know the purpose of forming the three
princesses? I heard it was for concerts, you know? Frilly clothing wouldn’t
suit me!”

“Even the spirit world has some of those types of people. Maniac apostles.”
“Huh?! Stop kidding around! Are you looking for a fight?!”
Jyuri, fed up with the noisy outsiders, complained. Though, she didn’t forget
to deal with Renie.
“You two, could you stop your comedy act? A serious scene is taking place
right──”
It was at that moment.
A large black shadow fell down from above Jyuri and Renie.
“!”
Noticing it at about the same time, the generals both jumped to avoid it.
Immediately following, there was a giant crash as the unknown figure landed
on the ground.
…It had a huge body nearly four meters tall. It had a thick, mighty ill will
that could choke someone. Furthermore, it was a grotesque oddity with
countless faces on its whole body.
One glance was all it took for Jyuri to know what it was.
There’s no mistaking this ugly figure.
(This is the monster Ichirou spoke about? Though, isn’t the magnitude of its
ill will too abnormal? This isn’t at the level of a general. At worst, it could
perhaps even rival an ‘Evil Spirit’…)
Just facing it alone made her whole body sweat. She felt a dizziness from its
murky miasma.
No wonder Kiki and Elmira lost to it. Actually, it’s a miracle that they
managed to come back alive after facing it. Such a monster was so out of the
ordinary.

“W, what’s that there monster?! Is that fella an apostle?!”
“Tao, stand back. That thing is dangerous.”
Jyuri urged the confused Tao to fall back. Though it was rather forward of
her to do so, she had to take care of this problem.
…Or perhaps, an ‘Evil Spirit’ might be able to defeat that monster. However,
it was too dangerous to leave Tao to such a task.
Except for Taotie, “Evil Spirits” cannot fight separately from their vessels. If
their vessels are “destroyed,” then there’s a risk that they won’t be able to
maintain their forms.
(If Hinomori Ryuuga’s team were the opponents, then that risk would be
gone. They would never attack human vessels. However, this monster…)
It would probably attack a vessel without any care. Yukimiya Shiori, in a

trance state, was defenseless.
(If only Yukimiya could ‘convert’ Tao, at the very least.)
At least then, she wouldn’t lose consciousness and could protect herself…but
there was no use complaining about it now. At any rate, she couldn’t rely on
Tao.
She then noticed that the four generals strangely gathered in front of Tao. It
was as if they were protecting her from the monster.
That was probably a reflexive act as apostles. In face of an unknown

opponent, protecting an “Evil Spirit” takes priority…and it seems such an
instinct came into play.
However, Jyuri couldn’t understand.
Wasn’t that monster the work of Qiongqi? Why would Renie, much less
Shima and Saihiru, be cautious? Were they surprised by it, unaware of that
such monsters existed?

The giant stood still for a while, the faces on its body muttering ominous
groans of resentment.
While closely observing the situation, Jyuri spoke to the three next to her.
“What are you doing? Why did you all come here?”
Renie was the first to speak.
“That’s what I wanted to ask. Jyuri, do you know about this? What is that?”
Next, Shima raised her voice in disarray.
“Is that an apostle?! That ill will is super dangerous though!”
Finally, Saihiru muttered in a low voice.
“Very strange. Which face do we speak to?”
…The three didn’t know about it? If so, was that monster unrelated to
Qiongqi?
Jyuri’s bewilderment heightened. Before long, the monster’s many eyes all
looked at them at once.
Or rather, it wasn’t looking at Jyuri and the others. It was looking behind
them, at the girl wearing an Oumei High School uniform. That is, it was
looking at Yukimiya Shiori.
(It’s after Tao? In that case, this is where I come in…I don’t know how long I
can last against it though.)
It’s times like these that she wished Mion and Kiki had mobile phones.
Having no means to contact them, she couldn’t ask for their help. The odds
were against her.
(How unpleasant, I’ve gotten prone to complaining recently. I have to do this

since it’s my duty!)

She would have to risk her life here. It’s her mission as an apostle to protect
Tao. Furthermore, it’s her duty as a teacher to protect a student.
With rumbling footsteps, the monster approached.
Right when Jyuri stepped in to intercept it──another person did the same.
It was the spider apostle with six arms, though two of them were limp. The
unlikeable butler who tried to kill Jyuri just before.
“Oh, that’s surprising, Renie. You’re lending a hand?”
“That monster is targeting Taowu. I must eliminate anyone who intends to

harm my lord. That is what my pride stands by.”
“Again with that? In my opinion, you’re disqualified from being a loyal

subject the moment you go against your lords intentions.”
“Leave this argument for later. Shima, Saihiru, you two help out as well. If
you can’t protect an ‘Evil Spirit’ in this situation, relinquish yourselves as
generals and as part of the top eight.”
Being rudely asked to cooperate, the cheetah apostle and rhinoceros beetle
apostle made grim faces.
“Haha. You beat us up and now you’re asking for our help…well, looks like
we don’t have a choice. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
“We have both acted disloyal by attacking Taowu at the cemetery. We shall
make up for that sin here.”
Shima and Saihiru surprisingly agreed to cooperate. When was the last time
she fought alongside generals outside of the three princesses…? She couldn’t
remember.
(I’m unsure about our teamwork, but it’s better to have them.)
It happened the moment Jyuri decided that.

The strange monster ferociously charged towards them.

Chapter 4: Apostle Collection

Part 1
“Boss! Some bad guy showed up!”
Suddenly, Taotie’s voice echoed in my head, causing me to suddenly stop

walking in the hallway.
At the end of the hero show, Masked Wolf escaped from the stage in a
hurry…and now I was in the middle of running around the school, searching
for Kiki.
Ryuuga returned to second-year class B, as she had to be a maid again. As

soon as she left, the number of customers seemed to have dropped sharply,
and so her classmates began to plead for her to come back.
Our easily pressured protagonist couldn’t refuse, so she once again put on a
cat-eared headband to say ‘nyan nyan’ to the customers. My condolences.
“What, Tie? There’s been bad guys showing up all morning. That includes
you.”
(That’s not what I mean, it’s probably that thing covered with faces! I think
it’s in that familiar abandoned factory!)
Covered with faces…in other words, that mysterious apostle amalgamation?

That appeared again?!
“Are you sure? That ill will isn’t from Goutokuji?”
(I’m sure it’s that monster! Not the monster in this school!)
What the hell. I didn’t expect a third one to show up.
There’s no doubt that the monster is under Qiongqi’s control. The fact that it

appeared despite the school festival still going on…means that Qiongqi’s
broken the truce.
“It seems we’ll have to go and take a look. Keep this a secret from Ryuga and
the others.”
Right now, the main characters are busy with the school festival part of the
story. Ryuuga and Elmira are busy with the “maid cafe,” Aogasaki’s working
on the “hero show,” Kurogame’s doing the “haunted house,” and Yukimiya’s
involved with the “matchmaking game.”
I can’t let any disturbances get in their way. Since part three, the Qiongqi arc,
will genuinely start tomorrow, we may not see the daily life part again for a
while.
I’ll have to deal with this alone. Leave school festival troubles to Kobayashi
Support for reliance and results!
With that in mind, I quickly ran to the stairs in a hurry. Thereupon, another
“Evil Spirit” called out to me.
(Hey, Sonny. You’d better get ready. Based on its ill will, this guy’s pretty
powerful. It’s nothing like the monster we beat the hell out of before.)
I responded with “Alright,” in response to Hundun’s advice. In addition, after

reflecting on what happened last time, I told the “Evil Spirits” in advance
about what order to appear in.
“Listen, Tie will go first. If he can’t beat it within ten minutes, then Uncle
Hundun will come out. If another ten minutes passes, then I’ll fight it in the
end as well.”
(Leave it to me! I won’t turn my back! I’ll go the whole distance!)
(Don’t fall flat on your face. Or rather, is it alright for the vessel to take part
as well…? Actually, knowing you, you’ll win, Sonny.)
While speaking to each other, I left the school building and rushed out of the
school gate.

A few minutes had passed. Arriving at the abandoned factory, I came across
an unexpected sight.
Just like Taotie had reported, the monster was there. Its size was four meters
tall, the same size as the last one. However, its ill will was an order of
magnitude higher. It’s several, no, dozens of times larger, I think.
“W, what is this thing…I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
That wasn’t the only thing I didn’t expect.
For some reason, Yukimiya, Jyuri, Renie, even Shima and Saihiru were there.
Furthermore, the four generals were in tatters, lying down on the floor.
…I can’t digest this situation.
If I were to guess, it seems that all of them faced the monster and ended up
having the tables turned on them. However, why were those three with Jyuri?
Isn’t that monster their ally?
Either way, there’s no time to dawdle around. The situation’s pretty urgent.
Tao’s about to fight the monster right now. She appeared above Yukimiya’s
head, her long black hair rustling around.
“Hey, Tao! Stop! Go back into Yukimiya now!”
I dashed towards Yukimiya, carried her, and dashed again to take refuge near
the entrance. The monster’s eyeballs all glared at me, but I didn’t have the
time to care about that.
“I, Ichirou? Whatcha doin’?! I’mma beat that thing! I’ll mess it up so bad that
it’ll be on page three of tomorrow’s newspapers!”
“You don’t have to do that! More importantly, please explain what’s going
on! What happened here?!”

“Shima and Saihiru appeared, and then Renie, and then Jyuri, and then that
monster!”
“I don’t understand at all!”
“Those four tried to protect me! But that dream team couldn’t even lay a hand
or foot on that thing! It’s like when Brazil lost seven times against Germany
in the World Cup semifinals in their own homeland!”
“Don’t come up with that kind of stuff if you’re so worried!”
In any case, defeating that monsters takes priority. The full story can come
later.
Fortunately, Tao reluctantly withdrew, reverting to the usual inelegant

Yukimiya. After telling her to stay still, I immediately gave orders to Taotie.
“Go, Tie! Knock that thing down and don’t hold back!”
“Understood!”
Taotie immediately manifested in his battle form and charged towards the
monster.
In order to protect the generals, I ran towards Jyuri first. It’s situations like
these where Taotie’s ability to act independently comes in handy. That’s his
only merit.
“Hey, Jyuri. Hold onto my shoulder. I’ll have Yukimiya heal you later, so
please bear with it for now.”
“I, Ichirou, I’m sorry…for showing this shameful display…”
“Don’t worry about it. You did better than Brazil’s national team.”
Jyuri changed to her human form without me telling her to. The hair she was
so prideful about was now disheveled, and her white gown was covered with
dirt. There were painful blue bruises everywhere on her body.

It wasn’t just her. The other three generals were the same as well. They were
all riddled with wounds.
“Be careful…the magnitude of that monster’s strength is extraordinary. Even

Taotie shouldn’t take a direct hit from that thing…”
“Is it that dangerous?”
“Yes…what an embarrassment for the four of us generals to end up like

this…I’ve lost my honor.”
Could it be that this strange ill will isn’t just for show?
Renie was known as the strongest of the top eight.
Jyuri can fight evenly with him.
Furthermore, Shima and Saihiru put up a good fight with Tao, though she
wasn’t in her optimal state.
If the four of them group together, they could probably boast the strength of
an “Evil Spirit.” Will Taotie…be okay?
Upon looking at the battle, I found that Taotie was moving in circles around
the monster with light steps. It seemed that his goal was to daze it, but there’s
no point when it has all those eyes on its body.
“Hey, hey! Come on! Welcome! Congratulation!”TLNThese are all said in

English.
After taking a backward glance at Taotie, who was provoking the thing with
whatever English proficiency he had, I carried Jyuri to the entrance.
We moved at a rather slow pace. The moment I turned around to get the other
three generals…
I heard a muffled blast and Taotie tumbled over towards my location. He

took a punch from the monster.

“Grrragh!”
“Aah, Tie’s down!”
The moment Tao shouted, Taotie jumped back onto his feet. He swept the
dust off of his body and faced the monster again. As expected of an “Evil
Spirit,” he’s sturdy.
“I was caught off guard just now! I can see through that thing’s attack now!”
After a span of one second, Taotie tumbled back towards me. He took
another punch.
“You didn’t see through it at all!”
“I was also caught off guard just now! The same attack won’t work on an
‘Evil Spirit’ thrice!”
Though, in the end, he tumbled back again. If this were an anime, I think the
joke would start to get stale by now.
“Stop being so careless!”
“I, I’m just in a bit of a bad shape! My face is drenched in water, you know!”
“What are ya, made of anpan or somethin’?!”TLNThis a reference to the

Anpanman, whose weakness is getting his head (which is made of bread)
wet.
In my head, I heard Hundun ask “Should I take over?” in a shocked voice.
Ten minutes haven’t passed, but it might be better to do so. Despite being
pumped up, he was only falling flat on his face…or so I thought.
“Now I’m getting mad, damn you! You think you can just inflate your
strength?!”
On the fourth try, Taotie dodged his opponent’s punch.

In retaliation, he let loose an uppercut that sunk into the monster’s guts.
Thereupon, the opponent’s giant body flew off of the ground for a bit. It was
an absurd show of strength, as if the monster being twice as big as him didn’t
matter.

The monster’s many mouths all let out voices of anguish.
Ignoring its cries, Taotie continued beating up the monster without giving it
room to counterattack.
It seems that he’s finally serious. As I thought, Taotie’s strong when he’s not
messing around. If he was weak, there would be no point to his existence.
“Wahaha! How do you like that?! Learned your lesson yet!? Say ‘I’ve
learned my lesson,’ to me! Say ‘Your strength is amazing,’ ‘You’re an
ikemen,’ and ‘I’m sorry for my mistake. I deserve exile,’ to me! Let me hear
it from any of your mouths!”
While spitting out his shameless requests, Taotie drove a knee strike with the
force of his whole body onto the monster.
At last, the monster fell down to its knees and became completely silent. If a
coach were here, they would definitely throw in the towel.
…In the end, it was a one-sided victory. Though the “Evil Spirit” took three
hits at first, it had no effect on him. It seems that Jyuri’s worries were
unfounded.
(So, it seems that there’s no need to protect Renie and the others anymore?)
Upon looking, I found that Renie, Shima, and Saihiru were already standing
up.
Forgetting their injuries, they paid close attention to Taotie, who stood in
front of the monster with an daunting pose. Well, he did solo an opponent
who easily brushed aside four other people.
“…An ‘Evil Spirit’ truly is frightening.”
The spider butler let out a shaky voice of admiration.
“Oh no, I think I’m feeling some butterflies in my stomach…”
The cheetah kuro gyaru held a hand over her chest while her cheeks slightly

reddened.
“Stop, Shima. Right now, the lord you’re supposed to serve is Qiongqi. I
advise against such urges.”
The rhinoceros beetle monk reprimanded his coworker.
After calming herself down, Shima staggered towards Saihiru. She struck his
chest and then smacked his chin.
“Hey Saihiru, let’s withdraw here. For now, let’s report about this monster to
Qiongqi.”
“No. Our orders are to observe Renie’s work. The abduction of Yukimiya
Shiori, or the disposal of Jyuri…our mission is not complete until either of
them are fulfilled.”
“Is this the time to be saying that?! Now that Taotie’s here, this is all for
nothing!”
“If we leave here, Renie will be left alone and in trouble. We cannot abandon
him. Without Renie, the alliance between Qiongqi and Tao wouldn’t have
happened.”
“Don’t call her Tao! Here, grab my shoulder…! You’re heavy, you monk!”
Shima tried to force Saihiru to grab her shoulder and leave the scene. Despite
insulting him, it seems that she doesn’t want to abandon her colleague.
(If they’re leaving, I’m grateful for that. Then I can just take Renie to the
Kobayashi house and have him talk with Yuki──)
However, two unforeseen circumstances popped up.
With an ear-piercing scream, the monster stood up. Nevertheless, it took a lot
of damage from Taotie. This sudden turn of events was fairly unexpected.
But like I said, there was another problem.

Namely, a new guest appeared at the abandoned factory.
“──Your perseverance and sense of duty are admirable, Saihiru.”
The cheetah apostle forcibly dragged the rhinoceros beetle in order to quickly
flee.
Behind them stood a young boy. He was the ikemen transfer student who
wore a Hakubou Private High School uniform and was supposed to be
working as a maid until late afternoon.
Seeing him, Shima gasped in shock.
“A, Agito?! You…why are you…?”
“I’m here to assign you a new mission.”
Thereupon, Renie noticed his presence, as did Tao and Jyuri for the first time.
They noticed Tenryouin Agito.
Not paying any mind to us noticing him, Agito spoke with his usual poker
face.
“On behalf of the ‘Evil Spirit’ Qiongqi, this my order──become sustenance

for ‘Shiyu’ over there.”
A split second later, Agito turned around and threw a kick.
“Unh!”
Saihiru reacted immediately and pushed Shima aside.
As a result, the rhinoceros beetle was the only one kicked away. That is, in
the direction of the monster that Taotie was neglecting.
I once took a surprise roundhouse kick from him, but that was nothing
compared to this serious blow. Despite how heavy Saihiru was, he flew like a
crumpled sheet of paper.

Immediately following, the monster’s giant arms knocked down Saihiru as he
flew towards it.
“Gah!”
After crashing into the floor, the monster then trampled over the rhinoceros
beetle apostle. It crushed him with its entire body weight, over and over
again.
“Hey, monster! I’m your opponent here! Stop! Don’t make light of me!”
In a hurry, Taotie kicked the monster to stop its rampage.
However, it was already too late. Particles of light sprung up from Saihiru’s
body and he quickly began to vanish.
He was transforming into a soul. That is, the rhinoceros beetle apostle was
about to die.
“S, Saihiru…Agitooooo!”
With a raging fury, the cheetah apostle tried to leap towards Agito.
However, just before she could reach him, she suddenly stopped. Or rather,
she became rigid.
As for why──a dark aura emerged from Agito as he turned into a puppet. An
“Evil Spirit” with a beastly appearance, comparable to the monster nearby,
emerged.
“Not so fast, Shima. You also need to be Shiyu’s food.”
The high-pitched voice of a child echoed within the silent venue.
It belonged to someone I knew well, the “Evil Spirit” Qiongqi.

Part 2
I’ve called Qiongqi the “Shota Evil Spirit” up until now.
From the type and tone of his voice, I thought for sure that he was just a kid
comparable to an elementary schooler. However, after seeing him for the first
time…he’s way different from what I imagined.
What appeared above Agito’s head was a half-beast, half-human peculiarity

who was about the same size as Hundun. He’s definitely unique in
appearance compared to the other three “Evil Spirits.”
(So this is what Qiongqi looks like…?)
Pure white fur coated his entire body. It matched with his host’s uniform.
Furthermore, he had tails. Nine of them, in fact. His body’s only visible from
the waist-up, but those tails are probably from his rear.
Though, he had an odd face. This “Evil Spirit” had a mask on. It was an old-
fashioned fox mask with patterns on the forehead and cheeks.
“Q, Qiongqi…”
I heard Jyuri mutter in horror from behind.
Renie and Shima froze in place, evidently bewildered by the “Evil Spirit’s”
sudden appearance.
Not minding the generals, Qiongqi suddenly took out a worn-out gourd and
raised it up towards the sky. He slowly lifted it up, turning it towards the
rhinoceros beetle’s soul.
“──Come, Saihiru.”

As if responding to his call, the soul particles changed course. They headed
towards Qiongqi’s old gourd.
Unable to take in what was happening, we merely watched. Nobody moved.

Taotie and Tao both couldn’t comprehend the situation, and were left with
their mouths agape.
Eventually, the last of Saihiru’s soul particles entered the gourd. The fox-
masked “Evil Spirit” nodded in satisfaction and closed the lid.
(What is that gourd…? Did that thing collect Saihiru’s soul?)
After shaking the old gourd several times, Qiongqi opened the lid again.
“Now Shiyuu, have some food.”
With those words, particles of light spewed from the old gourd. They poured
onto the monster like a shower, and melted into it. Thereupon──
“Goooooooooaaaaah!”
The monster let out a chorus of screams, and the eyes around its body
permeated with light. It grew another set of arms from its shoulders and
charged towards Taotie once more.
“Whoa! What’s with this thing suddenly getting more energy?!”
Though Taotie fought back, the barrage of fists didn’t stop. With the sound of
fierce blows, the “Evil Spirit” was falling back.
“Don’t mess with me! You were all beaten up a bit ago…ow! Ow ow ow! T,
timeout for a bit! Technical timeout!”
Not caring that Taotie desperately formed a letter T with his hands, the
monster went crazy with its barrage.
Seeing that, Qiongqi giggled like a child. Behind the expressionless fox
mask, that is.

“Yep, the soul of a general is definitely great. It seems that its power was
boosted by leaps and bounds. As I thought, quality over quantity.”
While talking to himself, Qiongqi walked up to me. He then glared at me.
I finally understood what Qiongqi was doing…and what he meant by “food.”
This monster is indeed an amalgamation of underlings. And now, Saihiru has

become part of it. However, before asking about that, there’s one thing I
needed to confirm with him.
“Qiongqi, what’s the meaning of this? Didn’t we agree on a cease-fire until

the end of the cultural festival?”
“That’s right. But unfortunately for you, Renie is my subordinate. Him

contacting Yukimiya Shiori or trying to erase Jyuri is irrelevant. The cease-
fire is a promise between just you and me. Oh, and Saihiru’s disposal is just
an internal matter, nothing to do with you.”
Qiongqi spoke without a shred of guilt, making me feel sick to my stomach.
“Your monster beat the hell out of Jyuri! Your argument has no grounds!”
“Shiyuu only responds to those who bear hostility. So, it just followed its
instinct towards Jyuri and Tie. In other words, you’re the ones…who broke
the agreement.”
What a shrewd fox. Qiongqi just took first place in my “list of people I want
to punch if I have the chance to.” He’s tied with Kurogame now.
“Then what is this monster?! I know your subordinates are in that thing! You
can’t keep it hidden forever!”
“Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This is my apostle amalgamation, Shiyuu!”
In response to Qiongqi puffing up with pride, Renie asked “Apostle

amalgamation…?” in a questioning tone. It seems that he didn’t know about
this.

Judging by Shima’s reaction, it seems that she didn’t know either. Saihiru
was likely the same. That’s why they fought against the monster.
But why can Qiongqi do this? His ability is “immediately reviving apostles
who have turned into souls”…so wouldn’t creating apostle amalgamations be
a different ability?
“Qiongqi, have you been hiding that ability this whole time?”
“Hmm~, not exactly. I just furthered my normal ability. With some advice
from Agito, that is.”
“W, what?”
“Well, the fundamental concept is the same. Should I revive an apostle right
after they turn into a soul? Or should I mix some together before reviving
them…? It’s the same thing as mixed rice.”
What’s with that analogy? Furthering his abilities? That’s dishonest! Viewers
and readers don’t like such after-the-fact establishments!
While everyone was at a loss for words, the cheetah apostle asked her lord a
question with desperation.
“Qiongqi, if that monster’s under your control, then why did Saihiru…if he
didn’t save me, I would have…was this Agito’s decision?”
Agito only stood silently after Qiongqi appeared.
At a glance, it looked like he was in a trance state, but he was actually just
showing no reaction. Like me, he had “converted” Qiongqi.
“Shima, you really are a bit dimwitted, aren’t you? You’re not fit for being a
general.”
The fox-masked “Evil Spirit” sighed sadly towards Shima, who faced the
ground.
Taotie, unable to handle the apostle amalgamation Shiyuu, was driven to the

corner of the site.
With one hand on the concrete wall, he shouted “Rope break!” many times,
but of course, Shiyuu didn’t back down. Unfortunately, he’ll need to bear
with it for a bit longer.
“Listen, Shima. This is an official order that’s coming from me, not Agito.
You and Saihiru will be a pair of feed for Shiyuu.”
Hearing her sort-of death sentence, Shima’s lips trembled as she uttered “T,
that…”
“Originally, it would have been ideal if you and Saihiru died at the cemetery
the other day. By the hands of Tao, Hinomori Ryuuga’s team, or even
Kobayashi boy, that is.”
The cheetah apostle dropped to the floor. With her partner Saihiru dead,
though he didn’t actually “die,” and her lord letting her go, she was in a state
of chaos.
“In practice, my ability to create apostle amalgamations…actually comes

with some bothersome limitations. It seems that the souls of those Agito or I
personally dispose of won’t work. We need to either have Shiyuu kill them
like you just saw, or have someone else kill them instead.”
“……”
“The quickest way is to have an enemy turn them into souls. That’s why I’ve
been so generously dispatching my subordinates and losing them up until
now.”
Inside my head, I heard Hundun say “What a bastard.” No objections there.
From the very start, he only saw his subordinates as food for Shiyuu. This is
the first time I’ve encountered such an ill-natured enemy. This guy’s the first
one to actually put the “Evil” in “Evil Spirit.”
“Hey, Kobayashi boy. Three hundred eighty-one一──do you know what that
number represents?”

“Three hundred…eighty-one?”
“That’s the number of apostles you guys have defeated so far. Around a
hundred of them came here when Dun opened those doors. Small fries who
died instantly, I believe?”
So Ryuuga and the others have defeated that many? I mean, a small number
of those were from me, but it’s still a spectacular number.
“I’ve steadily been collecting the souls of apostles. I’ve been doing this since
Hinomori Ryuuga came back to this town, when the ‘story’ finally began…so
in other words, I resurrected earlier than Dun and Tie.”
“Earlier than Hundun and Tie? So, you revived a long time ago?”
“Yep, but you know, I’m the final boss of the four fiends. I wanted my
appearance to be grand and I wanted to collect souls for Shiyuu.”
What the hell. Don’t tell me that Qiongqi was the first to awaken. Not to
mention that he’s been using Ryuuga’s battles to gather food for Shiyuu.
Even after we knew that he resurrected, he still wouldn’t appear on the front
stage. He would only repeatedly send his apostles to be slaughtered.
It was all to create his trump card, Shiyuu…I’ll give him praise for his
awareness as a final boss though.
“Then, you calling me on the phone back then to tell me about Higaia
attacking Elmira…”
“Yep! Of course, there would be nothing better than eliminating the

‘Vermilion Bird’ and kidnapping Shizuma, but failing to do so was no matter.
As long as my subordinates fall and I get souls.”
Finally, the mystery of this has been solved. The question of why he told me
about Elmira and Shizuma’s crisis.
Perhaps he was after Shizuma for the sake of feeding Shiyuu? Can a baby

even become food for the monster!?
“First, I made a prototype Shiyuu using a hundred souls of soldiers. Though,

Hinomori Ryuuga and the others ended up taking it down.”
Qiongqi was happy to talk about his plans.
He really is a little brat. An egotistical fox who embodies both the innocence
and cruelty of children.
“Next, I made a prototype with double the amount, two hundred soldiers.
That was the one Dun beat up at the riverbank. It died before the first one.”
That was the heavyweight monster that overwhelmed Elmira and Kiki at the
riverbank. The monster Ryuuga’s crew defeated at the abandoned factory was
a lightweight.
I thought that Qiongqi scaled down, but it turned out that the smaller one was
made first.
“Those were valuable experiments. I still don’t fully understand this ability,
so I wanted to keep testing it secretly. I wanted to test how many apostles I
could use to make what kind of Shiyuu.”
At this point, the abandoned factory was pretty much Qiongqi’s stage. Tao,
Jyuri, Renie, Shima, and I all listened to his words in shock.
“So, taking my time for the third body, I built up food to create the ‘strongest
Shiyuu.’ Two generals, Balon and Higaia, along with fourteen commanders
make for high quality souls.”
Is that what the Shiyuu here is made of? The reason why Balon and Higaia
didn’t revive is because they turned into food?
“No matter how many souls of generals I use, there’s a limit to what they can
do. So for my third creation, I decided to include the souls of commanding
officers or greater. Now that I’ve come this far, there’s no need to keep it a
secret. From now on, Shiyuu will harvest souls by itself.”

Thereupon, Shima muttered while on the floor.
“I knew something was strange. Qiongqi wasn’t reviving the dead apostles
very often…even for commanding officers or generals like Balon or
Higaia…”
“That’s right. I used them as food for this ‘Complete Shiyuu.’ Though, if I
had one miscalculation, it would be that it still couldn’t match Tie.
But──now I can use Saihiru. Shiyuu definitely has room to grow stronger
still.”
Taotie was still being cornered by Shiyuu. He tried to grapple him, but was
thrown around. He really is an “Evil Spirit” that can’t do things seriously.
“We were just food from the start…”
“You’re right. It’s my decision to determine the fate of you apostles, right?
The ‘Evil Spirit’ is your king, after all.”
Qiongqi spread his arms, which were covered in snow white fur.
“Well, that’s my plan. So, Kobayashi boy, won’t you hand me the souls of
the three princesses? And you Renie, could you become Shiyuu’s food?”
“Qiongqi, so this…is why you wanted ‘the elimination of the three

princesses’ as a requirement for our alliance. And you even wanted me to
eventually become part of that monster.”
Renie spoke in a low voice of disgust. It seemed that two of his arms were
injured. Did Shiyuu do that?
“Well, I must admit that I’ll sacrifice the souls of the top eight and three
princesses for Complete Shiyuu. Once that happens──we will see the birth
of a fifth ‘Evil Spirit.'”
“……”
“An ‘Evil Spirit’ above the others, loyal to me.”

This is absolutely insane.
──I’m sure I’ll be a final boss who performs beyond your expectations, you
know?──
Those words he said when I was at Agito’s apartment weren’t a bluff.

Part 3
We remained silent for a while after Qiongqi finished speaking.
──The “Evil Spirit” Qiongqi actually woke up earlier than Hundun or

Taotie.
──He expanded his ability with the advice of his vessel, Agito, and formed
apostle amalgamations.
──However, the apostles he or Agito kill themselves won’t contribute to

Shiyuu, so he had Ryuuga take care of them.
──Due to that, he’s been busy collecting souls while refraining from making
a public appearance.
(Making a fifth ‘Evil Spirit,’ he said? He needs to even sacrifice the three
princesses for that to happen?)
If that’s supposed to be a joke, it’s not funny. He wants to assimilate the three
sisters into that monster? What malicious stealing.
If Shiyuu becomes complete by obtaining the three princesses and top

eight…then perhaps even Ryuuga’s team would be no match for it. If it
comes to that, the “Evil Spirits” and I might have to support them.
(Furthermore, as a condition for the alliance, he ordered Renie to ‘eliminate

the three princesses.’ In other words, creating a divide between Ryuuga’s
team and the three princesses was just a secondary objective. This was the
main goal all along.)
If Renie’s indeed the strongest of the top eight, he could likely take down the
three princesses. If Ryuuga’s team defeated them, that would be fine as well.

Then in the end, Renie would become Shiyuu’s food too…I suppose.
The words Qiongqi said at the apartment stuck with me.
“Well actually, I’m confident that I can win without needing an alliance.
However, it would be much easier with Renie as a companion,” was what I
believe he said. What a heartless fraud. Now I see what it’s like being tricked
by a fox.
At that moment, Shima staggered up, exhausted.
With tears in her eyes, she glared at Qiongqi while grinding her teeth in
anger. It wasn’t a gaze that someone would give to their lord.
“Stop…stop fooling around! What the hell is this?!”
The cheetah apostle barked at him, showing her canines.
That was understandable. She was also a victim of Qiongqi’s tricks, never
knowing about this plan. It seems she wanted to vent her anger, even if the
one she’s facing was an “Evil Spirit.”
“We’re not serving you to become fodder for that monster!”
“Ahaha, you frighten me so, Shima. Then, how about I make a make a
special exception and not hand you over to Shiyuu? In exchange, I’ll give
you another order.”
Qiongqi spoke while seeming indifferent to Shima’s rage.
“Go back to the apartment complex and exterminate the apostles in there.
Now that I’m setting Complete Shiyuu into motion, I have no need for them
to remain alive. I’ll just use them to make another, inferior version of
Shiyuu.”
Agito said that there were currently one hundred fifty apostles in his mansion.
They’re likely all just soldiers, but a Shiyuu being made with that amount
would still be a burden to deal with. Taking into account the souls still inside

his gourd, the resulting monster would be a tough enemy that could rival a
general.
“Exterminate? You want me to kill my companions…?!”
“Yep. I might as well make a second apostle amalgamation.”
“I’m done being played for a fool! I won’t be your subordinate any longer!”

Thereupon, Qiongqi’s vessel, who remained silent up until now, finally
spoke.
“How impolite, Shima. Be obedient and follow Qiongqi’s orders. First was
the vocalist Hasuki, then the drummer Saihiru, and now you’re next. Given
the circumstance, our band will have to pause its activities. Then again, the
band Apostle is still alive as long as I’m here.”
For some reason, the one who reacted to that statement wasn’t Shima, but
Renie.
“You’re still conscious? Don’t tell me…that you ‘converted’ Qiongqi!”
Agito stared at the orb-weaving spider apostle, who had raised his voice in an
unusual manner.
So he didn’t know about that? Well, Agito is a bit of an unreactive person, so

I suppose he wouldn’t know unless directly told.
Seeing Renie in shock, the fox-masked “Evil Spirit” chuckled.
“Are you that surprised that Agito ‘converted’ me? That’s right, I’ve kept it
hidden from you this whole time. You know why, don’t you?”
“……”
“Well, fine. I said this to Shima before. I’ll say it to you too. Return to the
apartment complex and exterminate the apostles in there. Though, the truth is
that if you don’t do it, Shiyuu can just do it instead.”
“I will no longer follow your orders! You are the enemy of Saihiru and my
companions!”
“Oh, really? In that case, you’re just food.”
Making that quick decision, Qiongqi snapped his fingers.
In the next moment…there was the sound of a thunderous roar, and the sky
suddenly turned dark.

At first, I wondered if the clouds were covering the sun. However, that
wasn’t the case. Looking up, I found that Shiyuu had leapt──and was
dropping down right towards us.
“Boss, he’s going towards you!”
“I can tell!”
Shouting in response to Taotie’s late report, I immediately rolled over to

safety.
Fortunately, Shiyuu was only aiming for Shima and me. I thought that the
cheetah apostle’s leg strength would allow her to flee, but…unfortunately, I
was too naive.
“Guh, my leg…!”
Of all things, Shima was back to being down on one knee.
I forgot. She’s still wounded from her fight with Shiyuu. I wasn’t the target.
The apostle amalgamation’s target is…the one who’s defying Qiongqi, the
cheetah apostle!
Realizing that, I rolled back towards Shima to rescue her.
“Ichirou! Don’t do it!”
“Stop, Ichirou! You won’t make it!”
I rushed forward, not minding Tao’s and Jyuri’s shouting.
If Shiyuu consumes Shima, then its power will only continue to grow. I can’t
afford to let her be food for that monster.
Above all, letting her die here would make Saihiru roll in his grave after
protecting her. A enemy from the upper echelons risked his life for her. I
don’t want that to go to waste.
But, I’m moving too slow.

Rolling over to escape made me waste too much time.
Two meters away from Shima, Shiyuu swing its fist down. In addition to its
heavy weight, the momentum of its fall would make that blow a lethal one.
“Yes. With this, I’ll have Shima’s soul.”
While saying that, Qiongqi opened the lid of the old gourd.
Suddenly, there was a fierce explosion, a rumble, and an immense wind

pressure that blew my body away. Blown backwards, my rear bounced on the
ground three times.
(Gah! M, my tailbone…)
Despite my agony, I was relieved. Shima’s definitely safe.
After all, I saw it. Just before Shiyuu could hit her, a jet black silhouette leapt
in at a blazing speed.
(Good grief, I guess he is good for something.)
I got up to check the site.
As I thought, Taotie stopped Shiyuu’s fist. He braced his legs while his feet
were stuck inside the ground in order to protect the cheetah apostle.
“Ow…damn it, why me…?”
Seeing Taotie save Shima in the nick of time, I clapped my hands.
“Good going, Tie! Maybe you have a fan now!”
Inside my head, Hundun cursed him by saying “Don’t praise him. He’s
couldn’t subdue Shiyuu in the first place,” but everything turned out alright in
the end. I think he deserves some appreciation.
While pushing back Shiyuu’s giant arms, Taotie spoke to the cheetah apostle
behind him.

“Hey, Shima! Get away! How long are you going to force an ‘Evil Spirit’ to
hold out!”
However, Shima remained on the floor, staring at Taotie in surprise. The

woman-like way she sat down at that moment wasn’t like her at all.
“T, Taotie…why are you…”
“I can’t let you be food for that thing!”
“You mean that you…need me? You’ll take me in, even when Qiongqi
abandoned me…?”
“Now’s not the time for a personality shift! Move out of the way!”
“O, okay!”
The cheetah apostle responded and immediately stood up. Turning towards
Taotie one last time with watery eyes, she limped away from the abandoned
factory.
(Alright, so Shima withdrew. Though, I’m a bit concerned about the way she
acted just now…)
That face, those words…could it be that Taotie raised a flag with the cheetah
apostle? Did he actually get a fan?
In that case, Saihiru will be rolling in his grave for a different reason this
time. Though, my concern over potential romantic developments was
drowned out by Hundun’s angry voice.
(Stop zoning out, Sonny! Behind you!)
“Huh?”
Despite my idiotic response, I instinctively sensed danger and ducked down.
Half a second later, I felt a kick that grazed the top of my head. It was the
same roundhouse kick that blew away Saihiru’s giant body.

“Oh, you dodged it this time? Good reaction, Kobayashi.”
“Agito…”
Turning around, I saw Agito there. Above him floated the fox-masked “Evil
Spirit.”
“Well, as promised, let’s settle this. Who’s more suitable for Hinomori
Ryuuga, you or me…? Let’s make it clear.”
“Are you serious?! We’re not supposed to be battle until the end of the──”
“You’re the one who broke the cease-fire agreement. I won’t take any
excuse.”
As soon as he said that, Agito immediately rushed towards me.
I involuntarily had to respond to him. However, that was a daunting task.
His punches and kicks were extremely fast. They all aimed at my vital points.
Furthermore, they were all accompanied by an air-splitting sound.
(T, this guy really isn’t some ordinary person! This is far beyond anything a
human could do!)
Even I could barely dodge him. I could barely even fight back.
I have to be careful about this, otherwise my life’s in danger…What should I

do? Should I go all out? Would it be okay for me to fight a serious battle with
Agito? Is it okay to finish him off offscreen?
“Hmm, as I thought, you’re no ordinary person. This is beyond anything a

human could do.”
“Same goes for you! You’re serious about hurting!”
“That being said, I will be the victor here. The fangs of a dragon are what
belong in its jaw.”

“Guh, I don’t get what you mean, but it sounds kinda cool…”
“It was a poem I once sent to Hinomori. It must have touched her heart, since
she soon replied with ‘I don’t get it.'”
“That makes two of us!”
While holding that conversation, the speed of our attacking and defending
began to accelerate. Unfortunately, a hyperdimensional battle was unfolding
between two humans.
This situation makes me want to cry.

Part 4
“Ryuuga, Two of these coffees for table three.”
“Alright, got it.”
Placing the cups she received from Elmira onto a tray, Ryuuga moved
towards the customers on table three.
It was currently 2:30 in the afternoon. As soon as she returned to being a

maid, the area became busy once more. Despite insisting that she was a boy,
everyone kept giving her their phone numbers and Line IDs.TLNFor those
unaware, Line is a messaging app popular in Japan.
(I’m glad that they think I’m cute, but…*sigh*, what’s Ichirou doing? I
wonder if he found Mion and Kiki…)
She wanted to search for the two with him.
Though, she wasn’t really concerned about the three princesses. As far as she
could see, they’ve been the same so far. It seems that they didn’t become
enemies after all.
She honestly wanted to just have a date under the guise of a search. She to go
around the many refreshment booths with her boyfriend. It was only natural
for a maiden to have such thoughts, right?
(I had to let Goutokuji take pictures of me in a maid outfit a little while ago…
I feel a bit down.)
Though, there was no use crying over spilled milk. She was student of class
B, so she had to do her part to contribute.

Anyhow, there was about twenty minutes left in her shift. As for why, she
had a band performance onstage at 3:30. She already informed her classmates
about it.
(Come to think of it, where did Tenryouin go? I was worried that he would
come back upon hearing that I was a maid again…)
If she recalled correctly, he also played the bass guitar. Well, she didn’t
intend to compete with him though. It would be enough for her if she
managed to earn Ichirou’s praise.
(If the performance goes well, I’ll have Ichirou pat my head. Then I’ll have
him embrace me from behind while saying ‘You’re the best, Ryuga. I love
you,’ to me…heheheh.)
She immersed herself in her delusions.
Ryuuga picked up the hem of her skirt while saying “Master, two coffees.
Thank you for waiting, nyan.”
The main characters were busy with the festival event.
Meanwhile, two fierce battles were unfolding at the abandoned factory.
──The apostle amalgamation Shiyuu vs. my “Evil Spirit” Taotie.
──Qiongqi’s vessel Tenryouin Agito vs. the friend character Kobayashi

Ichirou.
That first battle’s fine, but the second one’s a big problem. It’s definitely a
matter that no one should see, a scene that shouldn’t exist.
“To think you could last this long…you really are my rival, Kobayashi.”
“Don’t make me out to be your rival! I am a friend character!”
Countless fists flew in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, kicks soared, aiming

for my blind spots.
His kicks were bad, but I needed to be careful with his fists as well. Rings
with unsettling designs of skulls and pentagrams fitted Agito’s fingers.
Taking a punch to the face would do a number on me.
“Agito! Give up on Ryuga already! In exchange, I can introduce you to

Goutokuji!”
“Who is that? Hinomori is the only suitable woman for me.”
“Ryuga’s a guy! I’ve seen it many times! He’s got a massive thing between
his legs!”
“Again with that…Hinomori doesn’t have a member.”
“I’m telling you, he does! In fact, it looks like a dragon fang!”
“In that case, I’ll find a way to love her member.”
“A, are you sane?! He’s carrying a package in his pants, I said!”
Qiongqi criticized us, saying “Stop talking about that during battle.” The
nerve that scheming fox has to leisurely watch from above!
“Say, Agito. You’re almost done, right? Why don’t we withdraw? There’s no
need to settle things with Kobayashi boy in such a hurry.”
Agito didn’t listen to Qiongqi. He continued fighting while ignoring the

words of the “Evil Spirit.”
“Good grief, what a troublesome vessel…hey Kobayashi boy, think wisely. Is

it really alright for you to be focusing solely on Agito right now?”
It happened the moment Qiongqi said that. I felt a spine-chilling, powerful ill
will from above.
Looking up, I found that the fox-masked “Evil Spirit” gathered a dark aura
into both of his arms. I’ve seen that phenomenon before. Taotie and Hundun

did the same thing before.
The “Evil Spirits” can release waves of ill will from their palms. It’s
something akin to a cannon.
(Is Qiongqi going to intervene in this battle? Not good, if I take a hit from
that at this distance, I’m dead meat! I won’t get off with just my hair being
rustled!)
I was about to call out to Taotie in a panic, but he was busy grappling Shiyuu.
Is this the time to be doing a sumo match?! Your vessel is in a tight situation
right now!
However, something unpredictable occurred.
Qiongqi took the hand he held up and suddenly turned it the other way. He
faced his palm towards the entrance of the factory, near an alley.
Over there stood Yukimiya, watching the scene.
“No…!”
“Too slow, Kobayashi boy.”
Immediately following, Qiongqi released waves of ill will from his five
fingers. The five black bullets left a trail, soaring towards her like comets.
Agito’s attacking prevented me from moving. Likewise, Shiyuu stopped

Taotie from taking any action.
“Yukimiya! Run!”
Coinciding with my scream was a yell coming from Yukimiya herself.
“That ain’t gonna work on me!”
Once more, Tao manifested above Yukimiya’s head and flexed her arms like
whips, striking down the wave attacks. It was like some kind of volleyball
move.

“I ain’t lettin’ ya hurt Shiori!”
Oh, right. Tao did withdraw, but didn’t put Yukimiya back in control.
As expected of an “Evil Spirit,” she struck down all five wave attacks,
despite being weakened. She didn’t earn the high score in that taiko game for
nothing.
While loading the fingers on his right hand with more ill will, Qiongqi
whistled while seeming impressed.
“Oh, I might have underestimated you, Tao. I thought that one shot would do
it.”
“Qiong! I’m mad now! Makin’ apostles into food for monsters makes ya as
bad as a pumpkin thief!”
“I hate pumpkins, you know.”
“Ya that picky of a guy?! Pumpkins pack a lotta nutrients!”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t talk about pumpkins while taking on that
appearance.”
“I ain’t takin’ no advice from a fox!”
An angry Sadako-like “Evil Spirit,” and a giggling fox-like “Evil Spirit.”
Ugh…this scene should really be left on the cutting room floor. Here we have
a friend character involved in a battle, and two “Evil Spirits” away from the
protagonist, talking about pumpkins.
“No matter, Tao. I wonder how long you can defend against my attack? It’s
been about a month since you’ve awakened, right? How acquainted are you
with your vessel?”
Qiongqi unleashed wave attacks from his five fingers once more.
Furthermore, he released more in succession.

“Let’s raise the difficulty a bit. Good luck.”
“T, this is like Oni Mode in that taiko game…!”TLNOni difficulty is the
highest difficulty setting in Taiko no Tatsujin, the taiko rhythm game being
referenced here.
As to be expected, Tao had a hard time putting up with dozens of black

bullets.
Furthermore, each ill will had a different trajectory, making them hard to deal
with. Fastballs, curveballs, sliders, shootballs, forkballs…Despite the starting
lineup, those are some pretty good pitches.
“Guh, my hands are gettin’ numb…”
“Ahaha, hold out, Tao. Though, is it really okay to tackle my waves? I’m not
referring to your wellbeing, but Yukimiya Shiori’s.”
Looking at Yukimiya, I found that despite being in a trance state, her face
seemed warped with pain.
(Could it be that…Tao’s damage is carrying over to Yukimiya too?!)
Memories of when Hundun possessed Kyouka flashed into my mind.
At that time, the “Evil Spirit’s” damage transferred to his host as well. That’s
an apparent risk when the “Evil Spirit” hasn’t been “converted” yet.
(This is getting bad. I need to save Tao and Yukimiya!)
However, I didn’t have the leeway to interfere with Qiongqi’s attacking.
Agito’s attacks were growing more and more intense. Instead of running out
of breath, it seemed like his engine was warming up.
I felt uneasy…urged to do something.
Suddenly, one of the ill wills hit Tao and caused her to fall over backwards.

“Yes, game over. The cost for that──the destruction of your vessel.”
While saying that, Qiongqi held up his left hand. He had only used his right
hand up to this point. He had been continuously gathering ill will in it, setting
it aside for a massive attack.
Seeing the dire situation, I immediately tried to jump in order to kick

Qiongqi’s left hand. However, Agito stopped my attempt. With the pivot of
his leg, he prevented me from jumping.
“Agito…!”
“Don’t be distracted by other things. You’re opponent is──”
Without waiting for him to finish speaking, I immediately sent a kick towards
Agito’s solar plexus. At that moment, the wave cannon on Qiongqi’s left
hand went off. It went right towards Yukimiya, who stood defenseless.
Tao couldn’t brace herself. I didn’t have time to make it. Taotie didn’t either.
I thought it was hopeless at that point.
However, at that moment, the king cobra apostle stood before Yukimiya. It
was the eldest daughter still riddled with injuries, whose blonde hair was
disheveled.
“J, Jyuri!”
“Ichirou, thank you for everything. Please take care of Mion and Kiki.”
The large wave approached Jyuri while she gave me a smile.
The entire scene leapt into my vision in slow motion. Thereupon──
The wave erupted in a direct hit. A torrent of black light burst, rolling up
gusts of wind.
“……”

Eventually, the light and wind settled down, leaving only silence.
…In turned out that Jyuri was safe. Yukimiya and Tao were safe too.
The one who took the hit, and the one who pushed Jyuri out of the way at the
last moment──was Renie.
Jyuri’s old rival, Tao’s trusted retainer, Yukimiya’s butler, and the orb-
weaving spider apostle.
“Guh, ugh…”
With a slight groan, Renie fell down. His whole body was charred black,
smoke rising from him.
It’s impressive enough that he took the blow without vanishing instantly.
Perhaps he was gifted with a sturdy physique.
“R, Renie…why did you…?”
Jyuri stared in amazement while on the ground.
“S, Sebastian…?”
Next, I heard a faint voice from Yukimiya. It seemed that she switched with
Tao and understood the situation immediately.
The fox-masked “Evil Spirit” gave a small shrug towards the spider apostle
on the ground.
“Oh my. So it’s going to be like that…? Though, it’s quite nice that you
didn’t die instantly. With this, I’ll have the soul of another general.”
With a muffled laugh, Qiongqi spoke to Renie, who was on the verge of
death.
“It’s such a shame that this is how you leave. It took a lot of effort for me to
pretend we were allies, and I even had a plan to leave you sleeping with the
fishes.”

Sleeping with fishes? While confused by his words, I ran straight towards
Tao and the others. Agito, who had taken a kick from me, was crouching
down.
As I was rushing towards them, Yukimiya held up Renie’s upper body. Oh,
perhaps Tao switched with Yukimiya so that she could use her healing
abilities.
“I know what you had in mind, Renie. You wanted to seal me and transfer
Tao to Agito, right? You wanted him to have two ‘Evil Spirits’ like
Kobayashi boy, didn’t you?”
Moving Tao to Agito? Have him hold two “Evil Spirits” like me?
Looking at Qiongqi, who was seven or eight meters away, I asked him “What
do you mean?” Fortunately, it seemed that he stopped shooting his waves.
“It’s as I said. Though he would have two ‘Evil Spirits’ in him, I would fall
under a deep slumber. By doing so──Agito would effectively be Tao’s
exclusive vessel.”
Once again, Qiongqi’s explanation was not to the point.
That’s basically the same as changing Tao’s vessel. Besides, what’s the point
of that?
While my bewilderment amplified, the fox-masked “Evil Spirit” continued

his spiel. He talked as if speaking on behalf of the spider apostle.
“Renie, not knowing about Shiyuu, thought that the war had already been
decided. Tie, Dun, and Tao all chose to coexist with humanity.”
“……”
“The only thing left to do would be to seal me. By the time I would resurrect
once more, the relationship between humans and the ‘Apostles of Hell’
would have changed greatly. In other words, Renie was willing to secure the
‘story.'”

Yukimiya, Jyuri, and I all looked at the spider apostle.
However, he remained silent on top of Yukimiya’s lap. His six arms dangled,
not making any movements, perhaps unconscious.
(Renie approved of coexisting with humans from the start…?)
Securing the story as he pleases would cause a bit of trouble, but his goal was
the same as ours. His stance on opposing coexistence back at the
supermarket’s bicycle parking lot was a lie.
“Renie was thinking about what would happen after that. Say, Kobayashi
boy. If the battle with the ‘Apostles of Hell’ ends, what would Hinomori
Ryuuga and the rest do?”
What would happen? They would go back to their normal lives.
The main characters, released from their fate, would each peacefully return to
their lives. That’s how the end of the story would go.
That’s the conclusion I had in mind. Then, during the end credits, everyone’s
daily lives would show up onscreen.
As if reading my thoughts, Qiongqi made a slight chuckle.
“There’s just one person…who wouldn’t live a normal life afterwards.”
Qiongqi pointed towards Yukimiya with a beast-like claw.
“She can’t live a normal life with an ‘Evil Spirit’ in her body. In other words,
Yukimiya Shiori──can’t escape fate. The fate of being an ‘Evil Spirit’s’
vessel, that is.”
It finally clicked with me. Renie’s goal was to move Tao.
I see. His goal was to “liberate Yukimiya Shiori.” Liberate her from both the
fate of battle and the fate of being a vessel.
Of course, when peace arrives, the main characters would still have their

guardian deities. However, they wouldn’t need to summon them anymore.
The “Yellow Dragon” and four gods are sacred beasts.
(However, Tao’s different. The ‘Evil Spirit’ has her own personality, eats and
drinks, and wants to interact with humans. It’s not like she would fall into
slumber by then, so we can’t ignore her.)
That’s why Yukimiya thought about “adopting Tao.”
The “Evil Spirit” could follow her for the rest of her life. I’m no stranger to
this matter.
“Say, Kobayashi boy. Don’t you think Renie’s more wicked than me? He
tricked both sides, tried to eliminate the three princesses to get close to me,
and even tried to push Tao onto Agito.”
“……”
“Not even for Tao’s sake, but for the enemy, Yukimiya Shiori’s sake. It’s
fine if that angers you too, you know.”
I have no right to judge him. After all, I’ve let my ego get the best of me as
well.
Renie thinks of other lords as akin to insects. I believe Mion told me that.
It seems that she was right all along. It seems that he didn’t think much about
the lives of Agito or the three princesses either. No wonder he didn’t ask for
my help. He was going to follow through with sacrificing the three
princesses.
All for the sake of his lord. However, Tao isn’t Rikushou Renie’s only lord
anymore.
Even now, the spider apostle wore a ring of beads on his index finger…that
alone is enough to tell the story.
“Though, Renie’s plan failed from the very beginning. He didn’t know about
Shiyuu. Furthermore, he misjudged Tenryouin Agito as a vessel.”

Agito stood up, placing a hand over his abdomen where I had kicked him.
I did hold back, but that should’ve left a normal person on the ground for
fifteen minutes. He could already move again.
“It seems that Renie found Agito to be a rare vessel. However, he thought
that at best…he could only hold two ‘Evil Spirits,’ and that one of them
would have to lie dormant.”
In other words, “converting” an “Evil Spirit” requires more power than just
hosting two of them. He didn’t realize Agito’s capabilities.
“Agito being able to ‘convert’ us would be a big problem for Renie. If Tao
was ‘converted’…then the hierarchical relationship between the ‘Evil Spirit’
and host would completely change.”
So that’s why Renie was so shocked earlier. He saw that Qiongqi didn’t take
over Agito’s consciousness.
Agito would have power over an “Evil Spirit” residing in him. Just like how I
have power over Taotie and Hundun.
“I assure you, Agito can ‘convert’ Tao without a doubt. I can also assure you
that he’ll use her as a tool for destruction.”
“……”
Agito’s desire is to ‘see the demise of humanity.’ He’s been acting as my

loyal marionette since our interests align.”
At that moment, the spider apostle on Yukimiya’s lap faintly opened his eyes.
However, his eyes were empty and lacked focus. Yukimiya continued trying
her hardest to heal him, but it seems he still couldn’t get up.
“Miss Shiori…I’m…”
Yukimiya gently stroked Renie’s face as he took painful breaths.

“Don’t speak, Sebastian. We can talk about it later. Of course, you’ll be
hearing from both Tao and me. Let me heal you until then.”
“A normal life…for you is…”
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s a life with you and Tao. That’s what I want
myself. So please…come back, Sebastian. I said it before, didn’t I? That even
if you’re an ‘Apostle of Hell,’ you’re still my──”
A voice interrupted Yukimiya.
“Alright. Talk time’s over.”
Qiongqi’s reached out his right arm and flew towards us.
“!”
Jyuri and I immediately reacted to the approaching white-haired arm.

However, our movements were blocked by bullets coming from his left arm.
Qiongqi’s right arm grabbed Renie’s body…
And took him away from Yukimiya.

Part 5
“S, Sebastian!”
Yukimiya shouted as Qiongqi grabbed Renie.
“Aaaaugh!”
A yell reached every nook of the venue, and with it came a rumble in the
ground. Upon looking, I found that Taotie gave Shiyuu a shoulder throw.
“Wahaha! Score! I win, monster!”
My “Evil Spirit” spoke in a carefree, delighted manner. It was a sumo match

just a moment ago, and now it turned into a judo match.
It’s great that he won against the monster amalgamation, but now’s not the
time to celebrate. Renie’s being taken away.
Held by Qiongqi’s enormous hand, the spider apostle groaned under the
pressure. This is bad. At this rate, he’ll turn into food for Shiyuu, right after
Saihiru!
After wiping his forehead in satisfaction, Taotie finally looked our way.
Noticing that Renie was in Qiongqi’s hand, he let out a “Huh?” in dimwitted
way.
In response, Qiongqi scratched his mask with his left hand.
“Color me surprised, Tie. To think Shiyuu would be no match for you, even
after taking in Saihiru…were you always that strong? Weren’t you just a
mere dimwit?”
“Who are you calling a dimwit?! You think I’d lose to this greenhorn here?!

Hey Qiongqi, give back that spider! If not, I’ll perform a Texas Cloverleaf
hold on this thing…”TLNThe Texas Cloverleaf hold is some kind of pro
wrestling hold.
Taotie tried to use Shiyuu as a hostage. However, Qiongqi snapped his

fingers before Taotie could do anything.
Shiyuu’s body immediately disappeared, similar to when an apostle turned

into a soul, dispersing into numerous particles. The particles immediately
flew towards Qiongqi and into the old gourd.
(Did he recover Shiyuu? He can revert the souls to their original state?)
Once he closed the lid of the gourd, Qiongqi once again gave his vessel a
warning.
“Now Agito, that’s enough for today.”
“Ridiculous. My match with Kobayashi isn’t over yet.”
“He kicked your stomach quite hard, didn’t he? Kobayashi boy’s no easy
opponent when you’re in that state. It’s better to retreat, don’t you think?”
Agito still glared at me, but before long, he reluctantly turned around.
It seems that he decided to listen to the “Evil Spirit.” However, we couldn’t

let them go. Not when Renie wasn’t free yet.
“Hold it!”
I shouted at Agito and Qiongqi as they walked away. Surprisingly, Taotie

yelled the same words as me, causing us to harmonize.
“If you’re leaving, then put down Renie! He’s not your subordinate! He’s
part of Tao’s faction!”
“Sorry to say, but Renie’s mine. By offering his soul, Shiyuu will power up
once more…aren’t you glad that the story will liven up?”

In response to Qiongqi’s words, Yukimiya stood up with a pale face.
“What do you mean? You must be the ‘Evil Spirit’ Qiongqi, right? What do
you mean by…offering Sebastian’s soul…?!”
“I believe this is the first time we’ve met, ‘White Tiger.’ It’s exactly as I’ve
said. Now then, I’m taking Renie.”
Yukimiya, understanding his intentions, immediately broke into a sprint.

However, Jyuri seized her arms from behind, preventing her from moving.
“Let go! Qiongqi’s going to turn Sebastian into a soul and feed him to that
monster!”
“Calm down, Yukimiya. Renie’s beyond saving now.”
Of course, Jyuri’s cold words didn’t convince Yukimiya. They didn’t

convince me either.
I was thinking about bringing back Renie myself…but the moment the
thought came to my head, something happened.
Renie himself gave some words of restraint.
“Kobayashi…please retreat…”
Inside the hands of Qiongqi, the spider apostle spoke with gasping breaths.
Despite his words, I didn’t have it in me to run away. Renie, in serious
condition, no longer has the strength to break free on his own!
“It would be wrong for you to help me after I…tried to eliminate Jyuri…”
“You made up for it by protecting Jyuri! You can’t leave without the
permission of the story planner!”
“Please understand…that was to repay for…going against Tao’s wishes and

tormenting Miss Shiori…”
Renie turned his gaze towards my direction. More specifically, towards the

direction of his lord, who was struggling to break free from Jyuri with tears
on her face.
“Miss Shiori…I wanted to commit to one last duty as Sebastian, but…it

seems that backfired…I’m sorry.”
“Stop, Sebastian! Don’t say goodbye!”
“I’m very pleased that…you think we’re ‘family’…but, you should forget
about me already…”
“I would never forget my family! Wait there, Sebastian! I’ll help you!”
However, Jyuri wouldn’t let her. Not only that, she urged me to hold back as
well.
“Ichirou, we can’t stop Renie’s abduction. This is our loss. There’s nothing
we can do anymore.”
The king cobra apostle’s cold words disappointed me.
Well, I suppose in Jyuri’s eyes, Renie hasn’t been forgiven. It’s likely that
he’s not only her sworn enemy, but also Mion and Kiki’s sworn enemy as
well. But even so…
“If we make a move, Qiongqi will instantly get rid of Renie. Perhaps some
would consider that favorable. After all, the spirits Qiongqi personally kills
himself won’t enter Shiyuu.”
“And if we let him get away, Shiyuu will end his life instead!”
“I know. However, I suggest we don’t approach, even if that means Renie

will become Shiyuu’s food.”
“Why?!”
“That way──Yukimiya Shiori won’t have to witness the moment Renie dies.
I think that’s a greater risk to avoid than strengthening Shiyuu.”

As Jyuri flatly said that, she unmistakably donned the face of Hebizuka.
Still, if Qiongqi kills Renie here, then he won’t become Shiyuu’s feed. In any
case, since the spider apostle’s fate is sealed, that would be the best scenario.
…No, wait. What’s good about that scenario? Is it worth it to have Yukimiya
watch Renie die? Is it worth it to watch her heart tear itself apart?
My mind quickly cooled down.
(I shouldn’t be emotional. No matter what we do in this situation, Qiongqi

will kill Renie before we can get anything done…he has us in a corner.)
I couldn’t move anymore. Taotie also racked his brain, unable to figure out a
good strategy.
Thereupon, Renie spoke once more.
“Sorry for the trouble, Jyuri…I never thought I would be thanking you…”
“Don’t thank me. I’m the one abandoning you.”
The king cobra apostle and spider apostle stared at each other from a distance
away.
For some reason, Agito stood there, exposing his back to us.
“Jyuri, I’ve told you before that…I, Rikushou Renie, always serve Taowu no
matter what…that is my pride…”
“That’s right. I’m pretty sure I responded by asking if that was just you being
a stubborn geezer.”
“Laugh if you want. I’ve already lost my pride as an apostle long ago…how
shameless I was to spout such a thing…while having two lords…”
“I think you’re better that way.”
Jyuri brushed her blonde hair and spoke. Her usual lewd self was nowhere to

be seen.
“Renie, leave the rest to me. I, Genshou Jyuri, will take over the role of…
protecting Tao and Yukimiya Shiori.”
“…Please do.”
With those words as a cue, Agito began to silently walk. Qiongqi floated
above him, and they disappeared into the dim abandoned factory with Renie.
Perhaps they were planning to exit the building from the back.
I wanted to chase after them. However, even if I do that…I won’t be able to

save Renie.
While at a loss for what to do, I watched as Agito left.
(Hey, Sonny. Give up on Renie. He did as he pleased, and was prepared to

face the consequences.)
Hundun’s voice resounded in my head. I completely forgot about him. I

ended up having Taotie fight for the duration of the whole confrontation.
“Say, Uncle Hundun. Was Renie’s plan really the right thing to do? What
about moving into Kyouka instead of Agito…?”
(Actually, I warned Renie against that. I told him ‘If you lay a hand on
Kyouka, your death will not be painless.’)
It seems that Renie replied to that with “I will keep that in mind.” I wonder if
he didn’t want to stir up trouble with any “Evil Spirit” other than Qiongqi.
(A human who would cause no trouble if they vanished from Yukimiya’s

sight. That’s probably what he considered optimal for Tao’s vessel. You and
Kyouka don’t fit the bill for that.)
Looking at Yukimiya, she fell down on the ground, crying.
Perhaps inside, Tao was crying as well. Perhaps she’s mourning over her own
inability…to prevent Renie from being taken away.

(By the way, Sonny. I’ve got a wise idea, listen closely. There may still be a
possibility──that we can get Renie back.)
“Huh?”
Hundun’s surprising statement made me let out a voice.
At that same moment, Jyuri stood right in front of Yukimiya.
“Sebastian…Sebastian…”
“Just be lucky that you don’t have to watch Renie’s final moments.
Furthermore, please listen to what I have to say. There still might be a
chance──to get Renie back.”
Yukimiya’s eyes widened upon hearing that. Oddly enough, it seems that
Hundun and the king cobra apostle had the same idea.
(Oh. Does Jyuri have the same idea as me?)
I impatiently inquired Hundun after he said that in a low voice.
“W, what do you mean? There’s a way to prevent Renie from dying?”
(I never said that. Renie is definitely being fed to Shiyuu. There’s no

changing that.)
“Then what’s the point?!”
(I’m talking about what happens after that. That is, ‘taking Renie back after
he becomes part of Shiyuu.’ Do you get what I mean by that, Sonny?)
No, I don’t. There’s a way to save Renie, even after he’s been fed to
Renie…?
Perhaps hearing my voice, Jyuri turned towards me.
“It’s Gazari, Ichirou. Though, I only heard about him from Kiki.”

“Gazari?”
While I was trying to figure out who that was, Hundun spoke.
(That was a soldier who’d previously been food for Shiyuu. Qiongqi said
something a while back. He told us that he doesn’t fully understand his
ability yet. Perhaps we know one thing that he doesn’t.)
What Hundun and Jyuri were talking about gradually became clearer.
A certain memory sprung up in my mind. Gazari was a lizard apostle that

Shizuma defeated at the riverbed.
There, we met an apostle amalgamation for the first time…though that was
actually the second prototype for Shiyuu. During that time, Hundun yanked
out Shiyuu’s arm, “resurrecting” Gazari.
Did Qiongqi watch that fight take place? If he didn’t, then he might not know
about that fact. He might not know that Shiyuu had such a quirk.
“In other words, a soul separated from Shiyuu…returns to being an apostle?”
(We can’t say for sure. That’s why I said it’s only a possibility. However, it’s
worth a try.)
I think I see a silver lining.
It’s definitely a promising idea. If Gazari, a mere soldier, can resurrect, then
there’s no reason why a general like Renie can’t do the same!
“Yukimiya, Listen!”
I immediately explained it to Yukimiya, as if it was my own idea.
“If we pull out an arm from the apostle amalgamation, Sebastian will come
back…?”
“That’s right, Yukimiya! It’s too early to give up hope! Your episode might
not have a bad ending!”

I shook Yukimiya’s shoulder in an attempt to cheer her up. Thereupon, Jyuri
placed her hand over her cheek and voiced her concern.
“Though, how will we pinpoint which part contains Renie so that we can pull
him out? Three other generals, Balon, Higaia, Saihiru, along with fourteen
commanding officers are in there too…so if you think about it, there’s a one
in eighteen chance that we’ll get the right one.”
That’s true, I suppose we’d have to keep trying until we eventually pull Renie
out.
Even if we get the wrong one, Shiyuu will weaken due to missing an apostle.
The probability that we get the right one will also increase, so there’s no loss
in taking the gamble.
“Alright, Tie! Let’s go to a shrine tomorrow and draw fortunes! Let’s train
our luck!”
As I gave my order, I stared at Taotie in front of me, who was lying down on
the ground.
“I’m tired…I don’t feel like doing anything else today…”
“Is now the time to be worn out?! Your disorderly life is the reason why
you’re in that sorry state right now! Lately, you’ve been getting flabby as
well!”
“P, please stop. That smarts.”
I gnashed my teeth with watching the “Evil Spirit” rub his stomach with a
pout.
Suddenly, Jyuri staggered and fell down.
“J, Jyuri?”
How could I have forgotten? She hadn’t fully recovered yet. She’s still full of
wounds.

Yukimiya quickly held up Jyuri. She placed the king cobra apostle on her lap
while activating her healing ability.
“These wounds are bad…did you really hold me down while in this state?”
“You were surprisingly strong, making it hard to keep you still. Well, that
shows how much you wanted to take Renie back…*sigh*, it’s thanks to that
spider that I’m alive…”
I briefly told Yukimiya about how Jyuri tried to protect her back then.
Yukimiya listened silently, then straightened her back and gave her thanks.
“Thank you, Jyuri. It seems I owe you a big favor.”
“If you think so, then how about acknowledging me as a school teacher?”
“…I understand. I will put faith in you. That being the case, I won’t chase
after Sebastian right now. I believe that we will rescue him eventually.”
“Is that alright? Renie will die…perhaps even today.”
“Of course, it aches my heart. I want to chase after him, even now. However,
I can bear with it. If Qiongqi kills him──I won’t ever get him back.”
That’s right. There’s no point in being hasty and forcing Qiongqi kill Renie
himself. Ironically, having him become part of Shiyuu is the only way to save
him.
Did Jyuri stop Yukimiya and me with that in mind? Of course, it’s likely that
her main reason was to “not let Yukimiya witness the moment Renie dies.”
(Our eldest daughter is quite the ruffian, being able to trick Qiongqi. It seems
she’s more than just a lewd lady.)
The eldest daughter in question had a better complexion now that she was
being healed.
“Well, Renie has fought in the human world for hundreds of years, so I don’t
think this is the first time he’s died. In the first place, he’s not going to truly

die, so don’t worry too much about it.”
“…Okay.”
A single tear from Yukimiya dripped onto Jyuri’s face.
She must have had it rough. However, Yukimiya had regained her
composure. Her strong emotional strength is what makes her the “Shrine
Maiden of Life”…and Tao’s vessel.
“Jyuri, there’s something you said earlier. You mentioned that you would
protect Tao and me.”
“What about it?”
“Will you help me…get Sebastian back?”
The king cobra apostle remained silent for a while, staring at Yukimiya.
“Are you making that request as a student of Oumei High School, not as the
successor of the ‘White Tiger’?”
“Yes. This is my request as Yukimiya Shiori. A request not to save Rikushou

Renie, but my butler Sebastian.”
Hearing those words, Jyuri soon nodded. The eldest daughter was eager to
cooperate, but couldn’t say it honestly. Perhaps the second daughter’s
tsundere-ness is rubbing off on her.
“In that case, I’ll lend you my power. Not as Genshou Jyuri, but as the school
nurse Hebizuka Ai.”
“Hebizuka Ai?”
“I should mention that the name Ai came from the I-cup I have. Though, it
might become a J-cup soon.”
The moment Jyuri said that, Yukimiya moved her knees away.

With a dull thud, the king cobra apostle’s head dropped to the floor. In
response, Jyuri let out a strange groan, one that didn’t suit her.
“Oh, my bad.”
“You dropped me on purpose!”
“That’s because I can’t stay still.”
“I know you can! I’m your patient, you know? An injured nurse, you know?”
“I oughta beg ya pardon, Jyuri.”
“Don’t pretend to be Tao! You didn’t change places with her!”
I thought that they had finally gotten along, but…it seems that they still
aren’t on good terms.

Part 6
Afterwards, Yukimiya and I returned to the school and immediately met with
Ryuuga and the others on the rooftop.
It was already past three o’clock. The band performance in the gym stage was
occurring soon, but telling them about the incident in the abandoned factory
was urgent.
Sure enough, Ryuuga and the others were surprised by what Yukimiya and I
had to report.
Having to reveal everything in such way…was really disheartening for me.
“I, is that true, Shio?! You and the ‘Evil Spirit’ Taowu are already close
friends?!”
Kurogame lost her composure as her round eyes grew even rounder.
“Furthermore, Sebastian was an apostle general called Rikushou Renie…?”
Aogasaki stiffened, unable to believe what she heard.
“On top of that, Renie’s ben fed to an apostle amalgamation of Qiongqi’s

creation?!”
As expected, even Elmira was shocked by the situation.
“And Qiongqi’s vessel is──Tenryouin…”
Lastly, Ryuuga muttered so while biting her lip.
…After hearing the report, everyone stood speechless for a while.

I wondered if I should even talk about Agito, but I couldn’t hide it anymore.
It stopped being a secret the moment Yukimiya knew about it.
Of course, Agito probably had no plans to keep it a secret either. Otherwise,

he wouldn’t have shown up at the abandoned factory.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I wanted to keep it a secret until I could ‘convert’ Tao
and introduce her to everyone. I didn’t think that my story alone would be
credible…”
After Yukimiya deeply bowed her head in apology, Ryuuga took a step
forward. True to her protagonist-like nature, she held a firm expression.
Then, the other heroines looked at the “Shrine Maiden of Life.”
I felt nervous…worried that they would be angry at her for remaining silent
about such an important matter.
“So Shiori, are you…alright?”
Ryuuga stared anxiously at Yukimiya’s face.
Upon looking, it seemed that everyone held looks of concern. They were
more worried about Yukimiya’s well-being than the other problems.
“Shiori, we know…how important Sebastian is to you. To think that he’s an

‘Apostle of Hell’ and that he fell into Qiongqi’s hands…”
Ryuuga gently took Yukimiya’s hand into hers. The heroines also held out
their hands, overlapping with each other’s.
“Shiori, you don’t need to carry this weight alone. We want you to know that
you can rely on us.”
“You don’t have to hold it in. We won’t mind if you cry, you know?”
“Uogh, aah, it must have been hard for you, Shio! It must have been torture!”
The vampire retorted to the crying tortoise with “Aren’t you the one taking it

hard?”
“──Hmm, so that’s what happened.”
Suddenly, a girl’s voice entered the venue. There was no need for me to
check who it was. It was someone I knew very well, the second daughter of
the three princesses.
“Mion, you…!”
There was a three meter tall wire fence around the roof to prevent anyone
from falling. A sidetailed girl wearing a school uniform sat at a corner of the
fence.
Aogasaki stared at the heron apostle, pointing her sword while roaring.
“Mion, where have you been hiding?! What have you been doing after
running away from us!”
“I was eating a chocolate banana. Then I ate some takoyaki and visited a yo-
yo fishing attraction.”
“You’re saying that you were just calmly visiting the school festival…?!”
“I also saw your show, Masked Azure Dragon.”
The “Swordswoman of the Beheading Dance” suddenly showed a look of

panic. Perhaps she was reminded of the matter with the Masked Wolf.
“Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Isn’t that right, Masked Vermilion
Bird?”
“Who are you calling Masked Vermilion Bird?!”
Elmira objected to being given that nickname.
The heron girl leapt from the fence swooped down in front of us.
Unfortunately, she held down her skirt with her hand, so what lies beneath it
will remain a mystery.

“Anyways, it’s good that you know about Tao’s intentions. It seems our hard
work paid off.”
“In other words, you didn’t actually turn against us all along.”
“Well, who knows. You’ll get into trouble if you place too much trust in us.”
Mion gave an uncooperative response to Ryuuga. As I thought, she’s one a

kind. Even at a time like this, she doesn’t forget to be a tsundere.
“We don’t intend to be your enemies, but that doesn’t mean we’re your
friends. We just share a common goal, defeating Qiongqi.”
“We can work with that. We’ll put our trust in you, Mion.”
Ryuuga gave a refreshing smile and patted her shoulder.
Thereupon, the heron maiden’s cheeks turned red for some reason. This time,
she turned the other way and stubbornly avoided eye contact with the
crossdressing protagonist.
“D, don’t act so overfamiliar. Didn’t I just say we’re not friends?”
“I think it’s charming that you aren’t honest about your feelings.”
“H, huh?! A, are you an idiot?! What are you saying to an apostle?!”
“That reminds me, this came from Tie, but I heard you were a good chef. I’d
like to try your cooking someday.”
“W, well…if you’re begging that much, then fine…”
She’s too easy. You’re too easy, Ranshou Mion.
Or perhaps I should attribute this to Ryuuga’s power as a protagonist.

Charming both friend and foe…that’s Hinomori Ryuuga for you.
“Y, you should be focusing on Yukimiya right now. You guys have a stage
performance after this, right? Can Yukimiya sing in this state?”

That’s right. The “main characters’ band performance” was the last item left
to conclude the school festival.
Indeed, Yukimiya wouldn’t be in the right state of mind to be singing a hard

rock song. It still pains me to know that the cease-fire agreement was broken
with just one day remaining.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll sing.”
However, Yukimiya spoke with determination. She forced a smile on her

face.
“Sebastian told me something before. He said that I should enjoy my life at

school, not just focus on fighting…so I will go up onstage.”
It was obvious that she was putting on a brave front. Ryuuga and the others
knew that, but gave a nod. The heron girl also showed a worried expression.
“Sebastian always placed me on his highest priority. He once said that he

would use me, perhaps even erase me, for Tao’s sake…I’m sure he only said
that to make me hate him. Then, I wouldn’t be sad if he were gone.”
Perhaps he even planned on having us defeat him under the pretense of being
an enemy. I suppose Renie played his “character” in his own way.
“That’s why I will sing. I will let my voice reach Sebastian, letting him know
that I’m doing my best with my school life.”
“…I understand, Shiori.”
Hearing her decision, Ryuuga nodded. Aogasaki, Elmira, and Kurogame also
showed acceptance.
“Thank you. To be honest, I don’t think I can sing in perfect condition…so

I’d like someone to support me.”
As she said that, Yukimiya glanced at a certain direction. She glanced right
towards the helpful heron instructor who gave her singing lessons, even
today.

“W, what, Yukimiya? Don’t tell me that you…”
“What do you think about a duet?”
Mion’s high-pitched scream of surprise echoed throughout the rooftop.
It was actually the perfect voice for singing.
At last, the moment had arrived, and the main characters began their live
performance. They quickly added the heron girl as a member.
“Nice to meet you all! ‘White Egret’ here!”
After Ryuuga’s introduction, Aogasaki immediately strummed her guitar.

Next was Kurogame on the drums, and then Elmira on the keyboard, creating
a sound that roared through the gym.
…I wonder when they decided on the band name “White Egret.”
I guess I should mention that an egret is a type of heron. It was a name meant
to emphasize the two vocalists, the ‘White Tiger’ and the heron, though only
a small portion of people would understand that.
“Let’s go, everyone! On my lead!”

“Y, Yukimiya Shiori, here to sing!”
Mion and Yukimiya split the vocals, taking turns to sing. Undaunted by the
surprisingly enthusiastic heron girl, the “Shrine Maiden of Life” also shouted.
She was elegant to the very end.
At first, the audience were dumbfounded by the quality of the performance,

but soon burst into an uproar.
“H, hey, aren’t they really good?!”
“And they’re all fantastic looking! They’re all school celebrities!”
“Who’s that girl with the sidetail?! She’s super-cute!”
An air of enthusiasm quickly filled the room. The audience threw their hands
into the air, creating a wave of cheering. In just a few seconds, ‘White Egret’
grabbed everyone by the heart.
“Oooooh! Miooooon!”
Sasaki yelled from the front row. I was a little jealous of Mion.
“You’re the best, Rei! I’ve fallen in love with you all over again!”
Next to him, Yamanashi Asao shouted. Maybe he still has a chance?
“Kurogame! Do your best!”
Next to him, Miyamoto shouted as well. She was in class E and a classmate
of Kurogame.
“Together now, Elmiraaaa!”
Those words came from Satou and Ogura, students of my class. Come to
think of it, they were members of Elmira’s private fan club.
“You’re so cute, Ryuuga! Look this way! Wink!”

As I thought, Taotie was in the front row, wearing a happi coat and a
headband while frantically waving a glow stick. He seemed quite energetic
despite being exhausted at the abandoned factory.
“Go, Mion! Like the concerts in the spirit world!”
“That girl’s as energetic as ever, isn’t she?”
Next to Taotie were Kiki and Jyuri, also waving glow sticks. Having received
Yukimiya’s healing, Hebizuka had already fully recovered.
It was a wonderful performance, where both the performers and the audience
were one.
Though unfortunately…a certain friend character couldn’t participate. I was

really looking forward to this performance too.
(I even thought about clapping along…I practiced dancing and shouting…but

it seems there’s no helping it. It’s my duty to deal with this guy.)
I watched Ryuuga and the others from the stage wing.
I was currently confronting a male student. A guy in a pure white uniform,

who I had a hyperdimensional battle with at the abandoned factory.
“Kobayashi, did you give up on Renie? Wise choice.”
He stared right at me while speaking unnaturally. He didn’t seem to know

that Ryuuga would appear onstage until just before the event.
“Agito, I didn’t think you would come back to school. Unfortunately, Ryuga
already knows your true nature.”
While the gym continued to grow livelier, Agito and I stared at each other.
Despite the tense situation, my body unconsciously went along with the
music. It seemed that Agito was the same.
“I don’t care. I’ve gotten Hinomori’s email address, had a date with her, and

received her services as a maid. My goals have already been met. Now’s
about the right time.”
“Right time?”
“Correct. As of today, I’ll take my leave from Oumei High School.”
The surprise announcement stunned me. Leave the school? He’s changing
schools again?
“Unlike your Taotie, Qiongqi can’t operate independently from his vessel. In
other words, as long as I’m at school, Qiongqi is as well.”
Indeed, if things remained that way, it would be easy for us to figure out his
plans. Is he changing schools again to prevent that? In that case, why did he
even come here in the first place?
“However, remember this, Kobayashi. Hinomori Ryuuga──will definitely be

mine.”
“……”
“I believe that next time, Shiyuu will be even stronger. Renie probably won’t
be its only meal.”
He was likely referring to the cheetah apostle who got away.
Come to think of it, where did Shima go? We might need to ensure her safety
before Qiongqi can catch her.
“Kobayashi, there’s nothing left to discuss with you…move out of the way.”
“Why should I let you through? I know what you’re scheming.”
There’s no real reason for me to stop Agito from leaving. In fact, I want him
to leave.
The reason I was stopping him was because he was heading in the direction
of the stage. He was carrying his bass guitar over his shoulder.

“I’ll say it again. Move away, Kobayashi. The song is going to end.”
“You think I’ll let you crash in?!”
That’s right. Agito was planning on barging into the stage.
The enemy character was planning on shamelessly getting in on the

protagonist’s band.
“Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t play in any band other than Apostle?!”
“If Hinomori’s there, that’s a different matter. Playing a bass duo with her…
would be supreme bliss. Perhaps it wouldn’t even be a jam session anymore,
it would be a jam sex-ssion.”TLNYes, he actually said that. I did not take any
liberties with that translation.
“Can’t you take the hint?! I already said that we know your true identity!”
“That matters not. I’m the type who separates their public and private
affairs.”
“And you think that’s a valid excuse?!”
We were in the midst of an argument.
Right when the song reached an interlude, something strange happened on

the stage.
“Sh, Shiori?!”
Ryuuga and the others continued to play, but they were clearly uneasy. They
were all dumbfounded, paying close attention to the two vocalists.
As for the reason──Yukimiya started an Awa Odori dance.TLNAwa Odori is

the largest dance festival in Japan, held from August 12 to 15.
She did a slow dance that didn’t fit the song at all. She wasn’t even saying
“Yay!” or “Come on!”, she was saying “Yattosa, yattosa.”TLNYattosa is a
phrase often associated with the Awa Odori dance. In terms of meaning, it’s

just a greeting.
“Renie! Can you hear me?! This is a requiem from me!”
Needless to say, it was Tao. While I was trying to stop Agito, it seemed that a
different, unexpected person crashed into the performance.
What kind of requiem is that?! Renie’s going to be rolling in his grave!
“T, Tao! Please calm down!”
Quickly noticing the situation, Mion tried to stop her in a panic.
However, Tao continued dancing. She single-mindedly danced. She danced

to mourn the trusted retainer she lost.
“Jyuri, Kiki, help me out! Stop Tao!”
She seemed to have judged that she couldn’t do it alone. The heron girl asked
for help from the king cobra woman and the Hokkaido wolf girl.
However, it was in vain.
“Okay! Should I undress?!”
“No!”
“I’ll sing Spectacle Man’s theme song!”
“Stop!”
Jyuri and Kiki went up to the stage, starting their own performances. The
main character’s band show grew even more chaotic.
“Oh, it’s Hebizuka! She took something off!”
“Isn’t that kid the Masked Wolf?!”
“Ah! Another guy went up! Isn’t that Kobayashi?!”

Eventually, even Taotie climbed up onstage and stood back-to-back with
Ryuuga, shredding an air guitar. Great, now I can’t intervene. Otherwise,
there would be two Kobayashis.
“I, I was beaten to the punch…it can’t be.”
While holding down Agito, I glanced at Ryuuga…to find that she pulled
herself together and continued strumming the bass.
It seems the performance took priority over retorting to the situation. I admire
the spirit. Though, is that really alright, protagonist?
…Thus, the live show turned into a jumbled mix of performers.
I managed to prevent Agito from entering at least.
As such, the school festival event ended.

Epilogue
The spirit world.
The stronghold for the “Apostles of Hell,” a world living in a separate space-
time from the human world.
There was no sun, a land of perpetual darkness. Only a large moon stood in
the starless black sky, illuminating the desolate lands, the steep mountains
and seas of trees.
…Under such moonlight, there was one large town.
It resembled a European town from the Middle Ages, stone buildings

decorated the old-fashioned scenery. The city stretched out far, surrounding a
large castle in the center that stood on a hill.
“…There’s no day or night in this world. I feel like my senses are going
crazy.”
The front of the large castle featured an entrance.
While staring up at the moon, Shizuma mumbled to himself.
A full moon glowing blood red meant that it was more or less “daytime.”
There was no day or night in a world without sunlight, so months were
tracked using the phases of the moon.
“How does the moon change shape when there’s no sun? Well, perhaps the
moon works differently than on the human world…”
Before long, Shizuma grew tired of staring at the moon and turned towards
the castle entrance.

There were four stone statues, two on each side of the gate.
He didn’t know who made them, but he thought that their carvings were
beautifully finished. Ever since he turned this castle into his hideout, staring
at them has been Shizuma’s daily routine.
──A muscular, giant man with a horn on his forehead.
──A handsome, young man with wings like a bat.
──A slender beauty with her face hidden by her hair.
──A half-beast, half-human peculiarity wearing a fox mask.
They were statues of the four fiends.
They were made in the images of the “Evil Spirits,” worshipped as lords by
the “Apostles of Hell.”
Among them, Shizuma’s favorite was Uncle Taotie’s statue. Of course, he

respected Hundun as well, but he had a strong attachment to Uncle Taotie,
given that he often played with him since he was born.
(Come to think of it, I’ve done a lot of rude things…having an ‘Evil Spirit’
change my diaper must have been really disrespectful.)
He reflected on himself.
“──Hey, Shizuma. You’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you?”
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, causing Shizuma to jump away,

creating some distance.
As he turned around, he saw a peculiarity matching one of the stone statues.
A fox-masked “Evil Spirit” with snow white fur and nine tails.
“Y, you’re Qiongqi…!”

Qiongqi chuckled in response to Shizuma’s shock. Just like a child would.
“Why so surprised? You know that ‘Evil Spirits’ can transfer to the spirit
world, don’t you?”
Of course, he knew. He would periodically meet with Uncle Taotie and

Hundun. They planned on meeting again in two days.
“Still, it’s exactly as Agito said. To think you would hide in the spirit
world…you’ve really done it now.”
While speaking, Qiongqi took one step, then another step, forward.
“It’s quite lucky that we met like this. Shima may have unfortunately escaped
me, but…your soul will make do.”
Shizuma couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of Qiongqi’s words. However, it

seemed that a fight was inevitable. That was clear from the fierce ill will his
opponent was emitting.
What to do? Should he call Gaigo, Yagujya, and Zelva? No, commanding
officers wouldn’t be a match for him. He couldn’t afford to expose his
precious friends to danger.
“Shizuma, you’re an apostle as well, so why don’t you listen to the orders of
an ‘Evil Spirit’? Now, how about you come with me? Shiyuu is waiting.”
“…No matter your words, the ones I serve are Uncle Taotie and Hundun. I
will not comply with your orders.”
“Ahaha. When did Tie become an uncle?”
“Furthermore, I’m still a child, so if even if I did want to comply, I would

need permission from my guardians. Namely…Kobayashi Ichirou, Elmira
McCartney, and Boushou Kiki.”
“You’re quite logical for a young boy. Still, there’s a way I can force you to
comply, you know?”

“The amount of time an ‘Evil Spirit’ can be in the spirit world is about ten
minutes. Can you beat me under that time?”
“Do you think I can’t? Don’t get carried away, child of Reida.”
As they ended the conversation, the both of them kicked their feet off of the
ground at the same time.
Only the black sky and crimson moon watched over the duel.

Is It Tough Being A Friend - Volume 6

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Table of Contents

My presence in “Hinomori Ryuuga’s Story of Supernatural Battles” is

However, the series’ composition had gone awry.

Page 1 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

I thought the mysterious transfer student, Tenryouin Agito, was the

Furthermore, Yukimiya’s butler, Sebastian, was actually an apostle general

In addition to combining Qiongqi’s and Taowu’s arcs, there was also

(I already have a headache just summarizing what happened so far…if I was

Page 2 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

I was thinking to myself when my mobile phone suddenly received a

‘To Ichirou. We all went to Shiori’s house, but unfortunately, we couldn’t

Ryuuga’s faction, knowing that Yukimiya is the “Evil Spirit” Taowu’s

Just like me, they skipped school.

Yukimiya’s response was what I expected it to be.

Page 3 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

Last night, I had Yukimiya agree to that.

As for Tao, it should be possible to adjust her screentime. However, Qiongqi

Of course, my stomach ache was a straight-up lie. This morning, I had an

That’s right. I entered the enemy’s stronghold alone.

Page 4 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

I looked up at the sky again while sighing deeply.

Page 5 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

Page 6 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

It was only ten minutes ago.

While answering in irritation, I sipped some coffee.

Page 7 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

Despite Qiongqi’s talkativeness, Agito looked downwards while

However, Elmira should be able to mediate between Ryuuga’s faction and

That spider butler agreed?

But we established a good relationship between Yukimiya and Tao…they

“Surprisingly, Renie was quick to comply, albeit anticlimactically. We agreed

Page 8 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

“How would that make it easier?”

I felt a bit irritated at this easygoing “Shota Evil Spirit.”

Despite our conversation, Agito continued silently reading.

Qiongqi’s tone of voice sounded slightly provocative.

Page 9 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

This is a good opportunity. I should make myself clear here.

“The protagonist of this story is Hinomori Ryuuga. I do not want to be on the

“Pay mind to people’s worries! Cushion the blow a bit!”

The “Shota Evil Spirit” crackled when I suddenly raised my voice.

“I want to make a ‘battle between Kobayashi Ichirou and Tenryouin Agito’

“What about Ryuga?!”

Page 10 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

“You have no right to make that call, you small fry.”

…Not good. I lost my temper from Ryuuga being mistreated. I accidentally

“You surprised me. Is that your true self, Kobayashi?”

Agito’s and Qiongqi’s remarks of astonishment left me flustered. I

“Oh look at the time, I need to offer my prayers! Breasts! Breasts!”

Page 11 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

Agito pinched his forehead, watching me continue my desperate dance. From

“Even if we believe that, you still broke marble.”

“That’s enough. I get it.”

Fed up, Qiongqi returned to the conversation.

It seems I was able to dodge the question somehow. I hope he at least

“Perhaps this is sudden, but how about a week-long ceasefire?”

His surprisingly peaceful offer left me bewildered.

Page 12 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

“Yep. Agito insists on it. You see, I do occasionally have to listen to my

“Not that it matters, but what does that mean?”

“Hey, wait! Explain yourself! I’m supposed to be your guest!”

Come to think of it, that sounds about right.