Chapter 90.4
Chapter 90.4
Chapter 90.4
[Part 4/4]
I couldn't help but notice the outline of his neck as the wet clothes clung to his body, giving it a translucent appearance. His body, with its curved lines, possessed an extraordinary glossy, despite him being a man. I could see his breath escaping in small sighs, as if he still felt the chill. These sighs blended with the night, creating ethereal white wisps that vanished into the darkness...
"......"
"Huh...!"
A moment later, my gaze is drawn into the eyes peeking through a gap in his hair, which is dripping wet. Was it just my eyes playing tricks or did I catch a glimpse of a sly smile? I tried to act natural and averted my gaze.
...Well, let's be honest. It was unnecessarily erotic. No wonder it was made into a dakimakura cover by a famous doujin circle even though it's a guy. And he's in fourth place in sales of characters, ahead of Hina's girl... That's some deep business, don't you think?
(Calm down, it's a guy. I'm not interested in that. I'm normal, I'm straight...)
I kept muttering in my head like a prayer. But then, he's not actually emitting pheromones, is he...?
Whatever is it, I focused on my surroundings so as not to be aware of the sound of splashing water from behind me. It was for my own sake and for the sake of Shirowakamaru's sincerity.
...
...
How long has it been since this time, which felt like some kind of torture, began? Maybe time might not have even passed that much. Soon I heard the sounds of water drops coming closer to me. When I thought about my doubts, a voice called out to me immediately.
"I'm almost done. Can I have a change of clothes?"
"Mm, yeah...this is it."
As requested by Shirowakamaru, I recalled the luggage that was handed to me when I was asked to accompany him. I spread the wrapping cloth (Furoshiki), confirming a thin change of clothes and a hand towel.
"Okay. Here you go..."
Without looking back, I approached the side of the lake and extended my arm to hand over the clothes. At the same time, I felt a cold sensation embracing my back.
"...!?"
'Don't run away'
Instinctively, I tried to shake off the restraint, but the voice stopped me in my tracks. I was held captive by it. It took me a moment to realize that it was a voice art, and several more seconds to understand who had used it against me.
"Master...ShirowakamaruShirowakamarudono?"
"Call me with a casual tone for now. ...No one's here, right?"
As I called out his name in confusion, the boy who clung to me as if to wrap around his waist declared with some trepidation.
There is a moment of silence... My clothes absorb the cold water and gradually get wet. A chilly stimulation spread through my body, but what came after was a warm sense of someone's body temperature.
"......"
"...Did you mean what you proposed at the discussion earlier...?"
Reacting to his voice that resembled that of a girl, I slowly turned my head and looked down at the boy behind me. His face is pressed closely to my side, and his brown hair, dripping with cold water, is reflected in my vision for a long time. His expression was hard to fathom as it was looking down, but I could feel an indescribable sense of presence in each of his spoken words.
"...There are limits to exploring with just shikigami."
I answer, hiding my agitation. I was not lying. In the first place, if shikigami alone could handle the youkai, then there would be no need for the retainers or the hidden group.
"Big broAniki, do you have to go...?" Shirowakamaru pleaded, his voice laced with worry.
I sighed, feeling somewhat exasperated. "I cannot entrust it to my subordinates," I replied curtly, my tone conveying the gravity of the situation.
Since it was a mission, it wasn't feasible to bring only medium-ranked individuals, but I couldn't bring elite members too far. I was afraid to entrust them to my subordinates, considering the possible damage.
"For that woman, huh?"
"What?"
Momentarily unsure of what he was talking about, I tilted my head, but quickly predicted who he was referring to and asked for confirmation.
"Are you talking about Miss TamakiTamaki-himesama...?" I inquired, my words trailing off as I puzzled over his strange behavior.
The boy nodded silently and slightly. Seeing his attitude, my complex desires from earlier vanished, and I involuntarily chuckled.
Perhaps it was something like jealousy from a child whose parents were taken away by their younger siblings. Since Tamaki was taken in by the Onitsuki family, this boy has been taken care of in his own way. Considering that I had been taking good care of Shirowakamaru until then, I couldn't help but find the boy's state of mind endearing, even though I felt sorry for him. At the same time, I felt more relaxed inside.
(Seems like I'm being trusted more than I thought)
The awkward attitude of the boy, which even made me feel a bit pathetic, actually left a good impression on me. Not that it would matter, especially given the twisted and perverted love of the original heroine and the power harassment treatment of Gorilla-sama...
"...Tamaki's opinion is idealistic, but it's not hard to understand, is it?"
I answered in a casual tone, partly because the boy requested it, but more for the sake of persuasion. Insisting on using honorific language with a boy with a lack of trust in men and humanity in general would only create a wall.
"...Her views are too naive. Even I have been taught a lot by that old hag. I know that much. She's not cut out to be an exorcist."
Shirowakamaru responded to my reply, still sulking. He pointed out, grimly and unhappily.
I paused for a moment before responding. "Still, I think it's okay," I said slowly, my tone thoughtful.
"Why...?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice.
"Because all these rationalists make me nervous." My voice took on an anxious edge as I continued. "After all, I'm one of the people who will be cut down, the lowly servant," I finished, my words dripping with bitterness and resentment.
It may be a job that require making tough decisions, but that doesn't mean it's okay to easily abandon and discard the villagers. If I abandon the villagers so easily, I am sure that I will be no exception with others.
It's true that they are expendable, but that's why it's better to have one or two people like Tamaki who seem unsuitable for exorcists. ...It's not a lie that we need to maintain balance.
...Well, the main reason is that I don't want her to fall into darkness or deviate further from the original work.
"...I see."
"It's not like it's a reckless move. It's just a search. Once I find it, it's not difficult to observe it from a distance."
I explain to Shirowakamaru, who looks worried. Yes, it's not an unreasonable request. I only need to report sighting them from afar. There's no need to be overly cautious about this matter. I will have to tell this to Tamaki later.
"......"
Shirowakamaru was silent for a while, then turned his back away from me. His white, curved back is exposed. Then he opens his mouth.
"Can you leave for a moment? I'm going to take off my clothes and dry my body."
"...Okay."
I shrugged my shoulders and agreed to the shy boy's request. I start to walk to explore the surrounding bushes when he stopped me.
"Big broAniki" he said, his voice tense and urgent.
"...!? Did something happen?" I ask, my brows furrowing in concern.
"About earlier...please be careful," he implores, his eyes flickering with worry.
I pause for a moment to understand what he means and bowed before continuing to walk.
A little over a moment after the purification bath, during the second discussion that was presented by Murasaki, Shirowakamaru, who had abstained in the previous one, agrees to send people to search for the missing Namahage.
As a result, more than half of the attendees agreed, and Yun-shoku, or I, was to go out directly to search for the missing Namahage...
* * *"Heh-hehhe... Heh-hehehehe..."
As soon as Yun-shoku leaves the lake, the boy, or rather, the entity who used to be a boy... lets out a sound that is almost creepy. While making that sound, the entity hugged "his" naked body tightly, with an ecstatic expression on "his" face.
With a smile full of joy, the entity hugged "himself."
"Haa... Haa... Heh-heh, Big bro...AnikiBig bro...Aniki"
The entity's trembling voice was not only because of the cold, but also due to the excitement that was difficult to contain. "His" frail body, soaked in cold water, was becoming hotter and hotter as the excitement built up within "his body." "He" even felt dizzy.
He knew, or rather she, felt the gaze upon her. She could feel his emotion. Of course, she was used to being looked at with that kind of gaze since she was young.
Shirowakamaru was grateful for the first time for her looks and appearance, which fascinate even men and make their hearts flutter. The moment she realized that the gaze from her crush was mixed with a slightly bestial desire, she shuddered with joy and quietly reached its peak.
"Nn... Haa, ihi... Heh-heheh..."
Her frail body squirmed, her cheeks reddened, and she sighed with pleasure. To tell the truth, altering her body at the request of her teacher (?) had been a physical and mental torture for her, but she felt that it was all worth it with this incident. All that remained was...
"I... I don't really mind, you know...?"
This was Shirowakamaru's honest response to the previous statement he had made.
In the first place, this former boy did not attach much value to herself. She had no reason to love herself, considering her past. She was just a filthy and worthless person, used as a tool for someone's pleasure. That is why... Even when insulted, though hurt and uncomfortable, by Onitsuki's second princess's contempt, she did not resist.
She is fine with her old, dirty, filthy body. From the beginning, she did not intend to compete with Aoi and Kayo. There was no way she could do it. Her existence has only one purpose, and she has no complaints about being used up for that purpose, and she would have preferred it...
"Nn... Haa, uuu..."
Saddened by this sad but wonderful reality, and with a tingle in her heart, Shirowakamaru submerges almost her entire body into the lake. She calms down and soothes herself, trying to control her impulses.
She lets out a small cat-like cry, wailing and purring as she gives into pleasure. Her lips curl into a bewitching smile, completely overwhelmed by the intense sensation. She drools slightly, lost in the ecstasy.
"Big bro...Aniki that's why I'm waiting for you... okay...?"
Thinking of the moment when she will be needed, when she will become a sacrifice, and when her existence will be engraved in his heart, the former boy enjoys happiness for a while.
It was like a teenage girl in love, thinking about the meeting ahead...
Fanart:
Gorilla-sama who monitors the previous story: here and the heroine's character drawing: here