Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa

Meh, let’s skip all that yadda-yadda.

It’s been decided that we’ll be entering an open training camp for monster tamers.

What in the world are the details to end with such a crazy development?

For now, let’s go into detail.

The dispute of “who will marry me?” that occurred when mom suddenly came back home intensified disregarding the will of the person in question.

Then, planning to somehow coping with the situation, mom suggested “we’ll partic.i.p.ate in the training camp for newbie monster tamers held tomorrow, and then if you become the MVP you can engage in a relationship with my son, under the condition that it’s just platonic, without physical relations”.

And so we reach the present.

I’d have liked to retort “no matter how platonic you say the relationship is, how can you let your own son to go out with a monster girl!?”, but, if I think about it, mom has had a child with a demon.

… In regards to that, no comments.

Perhaps to mom there’s little difference between a human girl and a monster girl.

I don’t want to boast, but I’d say that the Kusumi household… Compete for the first-second world ranking for families with open-mindnessness towards romance between humans and monsters I think.

… It’s really nothing to boast about!

Next day. 7 in the morning.

Before me, who had woken up early to partic.i.p.ate in the camp, appeared someone I missed.

“Wa.s.sup! Chiharu! Long time no see!”

“Oo… Youhei?”

When I opened the entryway’s door (front door?), there was my familiar spiky-head[1] cla.s.smate.

It was Sakurazaka Youhei.

“Oioi. Chiharu, yoh—.

Though it’s our long-awaited summer vacation, where have you been until now? No matter how many times I called your cell, it wouldn’t connect. Dont’cha see you had me really worried?”

“… Ahaha. Sorry, sorry.”

I just went to the Netherworld for a bit.

That, of course I couldn’t add.

Nonetheless, it really has been a long time, isn’t it?

Last time I saw Youhei would be… At the yo-yo balloon fishing booth for the Saegusa festival.

“Then, Youhei, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

When I inquired, Youhei, with a face that said “nice of you for asking!”,

“Kukuku. Chiharu. Don’t say anything and just look this!”

“…Mm. What’s this?”

Saying that, Youhei took out a DVD with the raunchy t.i.tle of ‘Do you like pretty female college students? YES! Big breasted maid’s ecchi service!’

“Iya~. I went through great pains to grab a hold of it.

Being Chiharu, of course you know, don’t you? The shocking AV[2] debut work of the girl who was formerly from that famous idol group! Right after it went into sale, it sold out and it’s sold on the internet at a premium price of ten times its market value!?”

“I-Is that so…”

What would you call beauties and what would you call big b.r.e.a.s.t.s?

It’s not like I had any complaint against the woman on the package.

I just think that if we speak of beauty, its not like her features are neater than Zonmi"s, Kyouko"s or Iris"s, and if we talk about big b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she’s not on the level of Manami, mom and Lilith-san.

“… Fuh! It may be foolish to explain so much to you who has the data of over a hundred thousand p.o.r.n mags stored into his head, nicknamed Adult Index[3].

Of course, being Chiharu, you’ll know this much, won’t you?”

“Ah, yeaaah…”

I must not tell.

I must not tell him that, having all of my p.o.r.n mags and DVDs disposed of by the hands of Zonmi, I’ve completely quitted that hobby.

“What, no ‘sorry but could you lend it to me’? Let’s go to your room now for an appreciation meeting!”

“Wait!? Now!?”

Since today I have some important business… Right when I was about to stop him with that, I noticed something weird.

The Youhei that till just a while ago was hyped up trying to come into the entryway was like… When the AV you’ve rented thinking that there were high schoolgirls… As you play it on your home TV, there are mature women.

That… Grim expression of someone who has suffered personally the absurdity of this world…

“? Chiharu-sama. Is there a guest?”

“…”

Lilith-san, wearing as usual a maid outfit, tilted her head as if puzzled.

Thought it’s a scene that I’ve grown quite accustomed to, for a third person who doesn’t know what’s going on it seems it’s a bit too stimulating.

“b.o.o.bs… b.o.o.bs, b.o.o.bs, b.o.o.bs!”

“Calm down, Youhei! Can’t you speak nothing but b.o.o.bs!?”

“Chichichi-Chiharu! What’s this, oi!? Could it be that big-breasted pretty maids do exist in reality!?”

“… Chiharu. A guest? I’ll never thought that but, have you forgotten today’s plans?”

“Oniichan, don’t bring unknown people home!”

“…”

Naturally it’s the natural development.

Noticing the disturbance, after Lilith-san, all the residents of the Kusumi home appeared before us one after another.

Confronted with this scene, Youhei, as if he had gotten a revelation… With a face tinged with sorrow,

“… Chiharu.

I, y’know… Have been wondering since long ago.

Why, though they say you can’t buy p.o.r.n mags until you become 18… If you are still a virgin when you become 18 they make a fool of you.

I… Having had a conduct more irreproachable than no one…

Protecting my chast.i.ty[4] even though I’m not an idol…

…

……

That’s right.

I’m not the one who’s wrong! It’s the world!

Fufufufu. Fuhahahahahaha!”

“C-calm down Youhei! Your eyes are totally gla.s.sy!?”

Just when I calmly pointed that, Youhei’s expression was gradually filled with despair,

“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah”

He completely broke.

“I… Even though I thought of you as a friend… You’ve disappointed me, you ungrateful b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

Someone like you… Someone like you is not humaaaaaaan!”

“Gohaah!?”

For some reason, he hit me.

… No, y’know?

As Youhei said, surely could it be that I’m not human?

But, y’know, if you tell me so directly, of course even I will be hurt!?

“…”

Though my body that has monster cells healed in a blink the damage from Youhei’s punch, my psyche, which after all it’s just that of a kid, will take some time to patch up.

× × ×

“Oh, we’re here, we’re here.”

We, who have entered the monster tamer training camp on mom’s suggestion, are at Fujinomiya town, in the Shizuoka prefecture.

We’ve reached Mt. Fuji’s foot.

Though I feel that if you looked it up on the net, to arrive here from Tokyo it seems that it’d take quite the time and money, that’s where being a tamer comes handy.

If we ride on Kyouko’s back, fully transformed into a Nephilim, naturally travel costs are free.

Looking down from an alt.i.tude of several hundred meters[5], we could already discern a group of people that appeared to be the partic.i.p.ants on the camp.

At a glance, the young boys and girls looked peaceful and harmonious, it doesn’t feel strict.

There were quite more people than I had expected.

There are currently approximately around 300 people gathered.

“Haru. Do I descend around here?”

“That’s right. Please do.”

As soon as I said that, Kyouko started dropping in alt.i.tude.

Then, from the dark dots[6] we could see on the ground, for some reason we could hear cries of commotion.

“Uwah!? What’s with that monster!? It’s suddenly coming down from the sky!?”

“Hey. Could it be that monster is a Nephilim!? I saw it in the Monsterpedia[7]!”

“Don’t joke… A Nephilim, you say… That’s not a monster a newbie can make a pact with… !?”

“…”

It seems that Kyouko and me are the core topic.

I didn’t know.

Are Nephilim such powerful monsters that would become an obvious topic of conversation between monster tamers?

Surely, since I’ve been saved many times by Kyouko’s battle prowess, if we speak of understanding, I understand it, but…

“Haru. It’s around here.”

“Yeah. So it seems.”

Following Kyouko’s instructions, I jumped down from the Nephilim’s back.

After that, Zonmi, Iris, Lilith-san and Manami also jumped down from Kyouko’s back.

“Whaaaaat. Since I’d heard it was a monster tamer training camp, I went and came, but there’s no one that looks strong, isn’t there, oniichan?”

“… And you, an ordinary person[8], says that?”

Nevertheless.

Sincerely speaking, I feel like what my sister has said is not necessarily wrong.

The monsters the tamers that appear to be the camp partic.i.p.ants have brought with them don’t look strong in the least.

Like a monster with a slime-like shape or a giant bat that is two meters[9] long.

They give the vibe of the small fry that comes out in the dungeon of the starting quest of an RPG.

By the way, sister.

Since you stuck with us like it was just only natural, not even I had noticed until just now, but why are you here!?

“… Humph! I concur with what little sister-kun has just said. I can’t feel from the fellows gathered here even one thousandth of thy magic power.

Being in such a place is just a waste of time.”

“Erm… Iris-san? Could you please stop with the statements that look for a fight promptly after arriving?”

Even though I thought of making tamer friends since I"m partic.i.p.ating in this event… Being so badly conspicuous will spoil everything.

But, however.

Other than my worries, somehow it seems that there’s an unexpected source of antagonism.

“I mean, why does this guy, despite being a newbie monster tamer, has that many contracted monsters?”

“No, no. What’s more envious is the level of the girls around him! What’s with that pretty girl squad!? I thought they were an idol group or something…”

“No matter how much I think, he’s chosen his monsters based on looks. Really, he’s the worst.”

“Gueh. For reals? Scary… Don’t come near.”

“…”

Uheh.

Despite not even a minute having pa.s.s since arriving, I couldn’t avoid this…

… I’m not one to talk, but I’m astonished of my negative image.

Could it be that making friends out of my fellow monster tamers is nothing but a pipedream?

That presentiment crossed my mind before five minutes had pa.s.sed since reaching our destination.

× × ×

Thirty minutes later.

After a simple opening greeting, at last the monster tamers training camp started.

Letting the outsiders Lilith-san and Manami go rest beforehand at the cottage reserved as our lodging for tonight, we started with the real training.

“h.e.l.lo, kouhai[10]-kun! I’m the one who will give you man-to-man guidance over this camp, Asakura Yuina♪”

“Y-yes. Please take care of me.”

It seems that this camp has a system where each group receives guidance from a middle cla.s.s monster tamer senpai, and the objective is for the newbies to clear the three tasks they"re given.

… Then, if we speak about why I receive one-to-one guidance from a middle cla.s.s monster tamer senpai, as you can guess, it"s because I’m being avoided by my fellow tamers.

As I couldn’t even find one newbie to form a group with, I’ve been forced to make a one-man group.

To give a simple to understand example… It feels like when, unable to find someone to pair with during gym cla.s.s, you’re forced to pair with the teacher.

“I’ve heard rumours about you! Aren’t you that legendary monster tamer… Kusumi Kanae’s son!?”

“… Do you know about mom?”

“Of course!”

*GRAB* Followed Yuina-san as she grabbed both my hands.

At any rate, from a while ago, this person… Has been in pointlessly high spirits.

And the distance she takes when talking is awfully close.

Due to her speaking from nearly point-blank range, I could see Yuina-san’s cleavage from the neck of her shirt, but since it’s rather convenient for me, I better keep silent.

“Kanae-san is said to be the strongest even among the currently ten high rank monster tamers… She’s the person I admire.

She’s a woman with such a strength without comparison that once she even displayed by herself a battle power matching that of two thousand monster tamers.

Hey, say. Kouhai-kun? Once this camp ends, could you get me Kanae-san’s autograph!?”

“… Ah. Yes. No problem.”

“Really!? Thaaaaaanks!”

“!?”

Overcome with emotion, Yuina-san *HUG* hugged me.

Amazing…!!

This is, not a monster’s… Not my blood-related relative’s… The feeling of a normal girl’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s… Isn’t it… !?

Yuina-san… If we compare her with the girls around me, like Zonmi or Kyouko, the level of her looks fares a bit poorly, but conversely she was a girl whose simple[11] cuteness becomes her charming point.

So to speak… The face of a pretty but not too pretty girl?

If Zonmi or Kyouko are peerless beauties chosen from an audition of tens of thousands people, Yuina-san would be of the type which there are two or three at every school… The extremely commonplace pretty girl you’d find anywhere.

This kind of down-to-earth cuteness personally touches quite deep my heartstrings…

“““…”””

Between this and that, to me… This could be the first time in my life that I’ve been able to enjoy the sensation of a normal human girl that’s not a monster or family.

From behind me I felt a frightening magical power filled with murder intent.

“… W-wrong? This is… You’re wrong?”

“Yes? But I have not said anything yet… Why so alarmed? Could it be you are self-aware of having done something wrong?”

“No… It’s not like that…”

“It’s fine. Since it’s not like you’ve done nothing wrong, Haru, why don’t you have more confidence? It’s fine. Since it’s not like you’ve done nothing wrong, Haru.”

“…”

“Kukkuku. Monster tamer. If thou sayest to not deem your business… Thou canst keep being entranced by those two lumps of fat. But then… That choice may cost thou thy life.”

“… I’m deeply sorry.”

Unable to endure the pressure from the three monsterettes, I kowtowed with enough force to sink the ground.

“???”

As if amazed by my action, Yuina-san tilted her head.

× × ×

“… I see. We have to move this container to the place that flag is set up?”

Having started with the camp, our first a.s.signed task was a test of power and stamina.

Before our eyes there’s currently an iron container of about three hundred kilos[12] of weight and two meters[13] long in all its sizes.

It seems that if we manage to bring this container to a place in the mountainside where a flag is set up, we’ll clear the mission.

“That’s right♪ Of course, you must cooperate with your monster partners! However… Be careful since there’s a time limit.”

“… Time limit?”

“Yup. The distance since this starting point to the mountainside is around 3,000 meters[14] I wonder?

The time allotted to newbie monster tamers is one day. In other words, if you can’t take it to the goal in exactly 24 hours from now, keep in mind that you’ll be disqualified on the spot.”

“… Understood.”

Though it is a hard trial, believe it or not, we’ve been put through many ordeals.

With us four’s strength, I think that we shouldn’t be disqualified for running out of time.

As if foreseeing my internal relief, Yuina-san *fufufu* let out a suspicious jiggle.

“By the way, every year 3 out of 10 newbies retire at this trial.

The fastest record left by past newbie monster tamers was 1 minute 20 seconds… However, since the one who left this record was Kanae-san and she’s a legend, you don’t have to mind it.

As further reference, I’ll tell you that the average among mid cla.s.s monster tamers is around 4 hours. The average time for top cla.s.s monster tamers is about 10 minutes. Since, upon the completion of this task, kouhai-kun may be promoted, fight on!”

“Understood.”

Newbie monster tamers, 24 hours.

Mid cla.s.s monster tamers, 4 hours. Top cla.s.s monster tamers, 10 minutes?

There’s quite the time difference between ranks.

“Leave this to me!”

As I was carefreely thinking about those things, Kyouko stepped up without hesitation in an awfully forceful manner.

“OK. I don’t mind.”

Thinking about it, entrusting Kyouko, who excels in power the most among us four, may be what makes the most sense.

After this there are two more trials left.

If we entrust Kyouko completely with this trial, my other monsters may preserve their strength for the oncoming trials.

“Ehehe. It’s my time to shine… Look at this!”

After announcing that, Kyuoko took off the bracelet she was wearing in her arm and tossed it up.

What now.

The bracelet changed shapes in a flash and became a giant halberd.

“Aaah. Now that you mention it, there was that option[15], wasn’t it?”

Still… That was from when I fell into the big pinch of my three partners, Zonmi, Kyouko and Iris, trying to make a contract with me by force.

Somehow it feels it was very long ago… It’s the same as when Kyouko used this halberd to send a huge truck flying.

So, Kyouko thrust the halberd against the container, made it turn in midair,

"Secret technique: moonsault!"

She yelled in a loud voice.

Uwah. I missed it so much that tears came out.

“!?”

And, while I was lost in nostalgic remembrances, something surprising happened.

The iron container that Kyouko had thrown into the air, with the same momentum went up without falling. It went up. It went up.

*BEKIBEKI!*

The tossed container, drawing a nice parabola, hit the flag that acted as a landmark and utterly smashed it.

““““…””””

Everyone present became dumbfounded.

This Kyouko… She’s been polishing her trademark power and it’s higher than before.

“Fufun♪ And? Have you gotten a better opinion of me? With this I’ll win the MVP of the camp!”

“For real?…”

Surely, this… Is this the trial that takes a day for your typical newbie monster tamer?

“Yuina-san. By the way, what’s the time?”

“E-ermmm… 1 minute 24 seconds!? T-this… is incredible!”

“Che. I didn’t reach Kanae-san’s time?”

“How disappointing. Four seconds more? Had you cut the useless chatter at the start, you could have supa.s.sed it.”

“Well, even if you fuss over the record, it can’t be helped. And that record, Kanae must have set it back when she was a newbie monster tamer.”

“… Eh? Eh? You lot! How can you be so calm!? Even though I think it was just by chance, haven’t you just set up a record that will be recorded in the monster tamers’ history!?”

“Eeeh. But I rather than the record… Want to be recorded as precious in Haru’s mind[16].”

“… Were you trying to say something clever!?”

“Ouch!”

As Kyouko has gotten carried away by the good mark she had struck, I flicked her forehead.

× × ×

The second task we were a.s.signed was a trial of resilience and presence of mind.

The rules are simple.

Roughly, it’s like a treasure search game where we have to retrieve a magic power stone hidden in the depths of a cave.

Moreover, the cave was filled with traps and, according to Yuina-san, the level of difficulty was on a whole new level compared with the first task.

“… Chiharu. Could you please leave this to me?”

“Understood. This time it’s Zonmi’s turn.”

Well, suitable, what we call suitable, she is.

Though since my biggest concern is the development where someone gets injured by one of the traps of the cave, in Zonmi’s case, who has the recovery ability of the undead tribe, that’s no worry.

“Kouhai-kun. Since a while ago, haven’t you been relying too much on girls?”

“… I have faith in them.”

To the question Yuina-san asked me with eyes of contempt, I spat a sentence that’d make me look good.

“Fu-n. Well, I think that what you need right now, kouhai-kun, is some margin.

This second task that kouhai-kun is about to challenge, the newbie monster tamers able to clear it each year are 5 out of 10, and moreover only less than one percent at the worst clear it unscathed.

Before a task where, if you become just a bit careless, at worst you’ll lose your life, we’ll see how much can kouhai-kun’s monster advance.”

“…”

Even if you say you’ll lose your life… Firstly, against the ghoul clan who"s about half-dead, I don’t think that’s so much a threat.

And, if possible, I’d like to think this was a misunderstanding.

Am I thinking too much of it?

Since we’ve seen Kyouko’s recent feat, I don’t feel like it strengthens Yuina-san’s prediction.

× × ×

Since then, we waited about an hour.

“Fuu… It has taken me more time than I thought.”

From inside the cave, we heard Zonmi’s voice.

“That’s… Eh? Even though just an hour or so has pa.s.sed since the start… You say you’ve already cleared it!?”

Yuina-san, raising a shocked voice, cast a side glance at Zonmi, who appeared with magic power stone in hand.

“… He?”

“… Heyhey.”

Of course we were taken aback.

All over Zonmi’s body, for some reason… Axes, knifes, arrows, spears.

Pieced by a high number of all sorts of lethal weapons from every age and place, it looked so ghastly that you’ll unconsciously try to mosaic it.

What the heck has happened here… Having known Zonmi for a long time, I understood.

After all, the cave’s interior is dim.

Not having a sense of pain, Zonmi, without noticing herself that she had activated the traps, should have found the treasure inside the cave.

As a result, she’s become like a new species of land urchin… Or so.

“You have guts to trick people, middle rank monster tamer. There weren’t any traps nowhere, you know?”

Said Zonmi covered from head to toe in blood and with her innards leaking out.

“Hii!?”

Staring at a so disgusting appearance, Yuina-san’s legs unconsciously gave up and she fell to the ground.

× × ×

“… Kukuku. Kusumi Chiharu. You’ve become conceited. I’ll kill you. You… Some day I’ll kill you.”

The last task was a trial of overall combat power.

It was a one-on-one direct confrontation with the middle rank monster tamer in charge.

However, since a true one-on-one is very disadvantageous to the newbie monster tamer, it seems that it could be cleared just by making the opponent fall down once.

If we speak about Yuina-san’s condition, as you see, it clearly has suffered a sudden change compared to when we first met.

Even though before she called me “kouhai-kun♥” in a friendly way and smiling like an angel, now she called me by name. By my full name, at that.

Even I, who’s slandered as thickheaded by those around me, could somehow guess the reason for Yuina-san’s complete change.

Since, despite being no more than a newbie monster tamer, I have been doing nothing but setting records until now, Yuina-san’s pride as a middle rank monster tamer has been hurt.

“Summon—ogre.”

So, Yuina-san, oozing with animosity, summoned a huge giant monster.

From head to toe, it would measure around 7 meters[17]?

It was a full impact monster brandishing an axe.

I see.

Really different from the monster contracted to the newbie monster tamers that I saw before at the entrance ceremony.

Yuina-san’s summoned monster was just what you’d expect from a mid rank monster tamer and it looks like it has quite the combat power.

“Monster tamer. Shan’t thou leave this to me?”

“…”

Well. Yeah.

I think that if we go by turns, it’s so.

However, of all people, for it to be my strongest contracted monster, Iris"s, turn with this timing…

“… All yours, but could you please just make it fall? Don’t go all out too much?”

“Umu. I know.”

Hearing our conversation, Yuina-san directed us a smile of self-sufficience.

“… Aha. Kouhai-kun. Isn’t this a mistaken choice?”

“… It could be.”

As I meekly affirmed it, Yuina-san returned to the same angelic smile from our first meeting.

“Well♥ There’s no helping it. I’ll let that little girl to become Oo-chan’s opponent.

This is why you are a beginner.

Oo-chan. Don’t be too serious and cut kouhai-kun’s cutie some sl… eh, ogyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“…”

That… finished in a blink of time.

The flames spewed by Iris engulfed Oo-chan the ogre whole in a flash and rendered it unable to fight in no time.

“Erm… Senpai. Don’t let it bother you. I’d dare say that it’s we who are abnormal, not you who is weak…”

I told some comforting words to my senpai, who has burst into tears from the shock.

However, somehow it seems that my comforting backlashed and instead hurt senpai’s pride even more.

“Buuuu. No more! I… Had I known I would be in charge of such kids, I"d have rather not come to the camp…”

Said Yuina-san with tearful eyes.

“Remember this! You… Monster fetish pervert harem boy!”

“…”

Monster fetish you say.

I’m not one to talk, but that’s a mean thing to say.

Even I, if possible, would rather… Date someone like you, a regular cute human girl…

This time I somehow silently awoke to the revelation of “my popularity is limited to just monster girls and blood-related family”.

× × ×

Having finished in less than two hours the program originally scheduled for a week, I went to the cottage prepared as our lodging.

Zonmi, Kyouko and Iris, it seems that those three have some monster-exclusive additional curriculum, and though we had planned to take another course of action, it’s difficult to think that any a.s.sa.s.sin would come aiming for my body.

Still, due to the stance of it being to make double sure, until I reach the cottage, Zonmi will be at my side.

“Nevertheless… We’ve finished too soon. The monster tamer training camp…”

Though the things to lose were many, I don’t think there was anything to be gained.

“That too can’t be helped.

Although your t.i.tle, Chiharu, is that of a newbie monster tamer, I believe your true power is already close to that of a high rank monster tamer.”

“Mmmm. Is that so?”

Actually, around where would my true power rank among monster tamers?

I can’t quite grasp the position.

In my case, the foe I fought against first… The black suited man was someone who could already be called a high rank monster tamer, such intuition left me utterly stupefied.

“For newbie monster tamers to take the promotion test, they need at least one year of experience. Being you, Chiharu… Once you finish your training period, you can be promoted in no time to a high rank monster tamer.”

“That’d be good.”

By the way, what kind of life do those people who work as monster tamers lead?

I went and asked that to Lilith-san.

The people who become monster tamers, eventually everyone without exception gets affiliated to a phantom company that belongs to the IMA, and socially wise they earn a social position no different from that of your regular black collar worker.

There’s also the thing where newbie monster tamers, for a year, receive no wages as (during) their training period, but after that, it becomes so they are ent.i.tled to receive wages according to their personal ability or something?

If they become high cla.s.s monster tamers, it seems they’ll receive a remuneration on par with the CEO of a company listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange’s First Section[18] (around 10,000,000 yen[19] of annual income?).

…I have nothing to say about such an excessively realist amount of money.

On top of such a fairy-tale-like occupation as monster tamer actually existing, in many ways it brings livelihood.

× × ×

“Welcome home, hubby.”

After bidding farewell to Zonmi, I arrived at the cottage we are lodging in.

I casually opened the cottage’s door.

“Hubby. Will it be Manami? Will it be MANAMI? Or will it be ma-na-mi?[20]”

So, what first entered into my view when I entered the room was my sister wearing a naked ap.r.o.n as if it was a natural thing.

“… What are you doing?”

When I inquired with a look of contempt, Manami *JIGGLE* puffed her chest.

“I thought ‘No~ I’ve been forever stuck in the little sister role~’.

So for today, Manami has decided to change the plan and act as the loving newlywed wife receiving her husband home and serve you, oniichan.”

“…” Decided, you say…

Like always, impulsive from head to toe, aren’t you…

“Well then. Hubby. Dinner is ready, the bath is ready and the night service is ready. From which will you start?”

“… There are many things I want to say to you, but get dressed first.”

As I spat that, Manami looked at me with upturned eyes and let out a sugary voice.

“… Mou. Hubby, you-mea-nie.”

“… Shaddap.”

Though my sister does and says a lot of disgusting things even under normal circ.u.mstances, due to this weird setting, the annoyingness was increased threefold.

I don’t have to go along anymore with my sister’s eccentricities.

And then I realized that someone who should be here wasn’t.

“? Speaking of it, where has Lilith-san gone?”

If my memory serves right… We should have arranged for her to take care of the cottage along with Manami until the end of the camp.

“Aah. If it’s about miss t.i.tties… I mean, the second wife, she’s hiding in that shadow there, I think?”

“… Second wife?”

What kind of jokes is she spouting…

However, when I saw Lilith-san hiding in the shadow of a pillar, my doubts got blown away in an instant.

“Errrm… Lilith-san. What are you doing?”

“Hii!?”

Right when I made eye contact with her, Lilith-san put a frightened face.

What the heck… Today she’s in a state where it’s very difficult to find a place to look at her.

Naked ap.r.o.n.

It’s a naked ap.r.o.n.

… Thinking about it calmly, I’ll say again that seeing my sister in a naked ap.r.o.n before felt ridiculous.

Different from my sister’s usual state with that deeply rooted sorry character that makes you uncomfortable, Lilith-san’s naked ap.r.o.n figure was astounding in many senses.

W-what’s with this destructive power?

… I think that in a morals’ textbook I read at elementary school it said that when in trouble, no one better than friends to rely on.

By picturing in my brain Youhei dressed as a bunny girl, I barely managed to keep my reason.

… No, however.

Lilith-san’s voluminous chest size that fills the ap.r.o.n to the brim, and defenselessly exposed well-fleshed plump behind seem to hide the power to promptly blow up my reason if I get careless for just an instant.

“Ehehe. How’s it?

Hubby. Until the zombie and the rest get home, it’s your chance!

We are ready to accept any pervy command that oniichan… I mean… Hubby asks for!”

“… Kuh!”

What’s this. This feeling…

It may be because I got excited by the vision of Lilith-san’s naked ap.r.o.n.

It’s like when you prepare to someone the peppers they hate and the Salisbury steak they love; the novel dish of ‘meat-filled peppers’ and they can eat both of them[21]…

If I cooled my head and thought about it, I could make some sense in an instant of the weirdness, but right now, I, seeing my sister in a naked ap.r.o.n, ended up thinking “this may be it”.

“Yeeeees…! The personal route is hopeless, but if we enter the harem route[22] it may become that Manami and oniichan get joined…!

This is the last chance! Manami!

If you lead oniichan through the harem route, taking advantage of the turmoil, you can even have s.e.x with oniichan…!”

Because of that ominous speech my sister muttered, I could come back to my senses.

“… Hah!”

Darn.

Was that my sister’s aim!?

She was about to trick me into that malignant set!

“Sob… Chiharu-sama.

Please spare me. I, so as to clean the succubi’s image… I vowed to keep my body pure[23]…!!

If I went to engage into misconduct now, I won’t be able to look the past me in the eye…”

“If you hate it, should you be in that state…?”

“Eeeerm. That’s… You see…”

As Lilith-san kept looking for someone to help her, my sister promptly raised her voice to obstruct her.

“Miss t.i.tties. I think you’d better speak no more~”

“…!”

“Fufufufu. It’s nothing… Should Manami show oniichan ‘that’ that she has recorded on her cellphone or shouldn’t her~”

“!?”

“But, oniichan will surely receive a shock~.

By no means would miss t.i.tties with her innocent character misuse her position as a maid to do this and that to oniichan’s laundry…”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

When Manami started to speak.

“!?”

Lilith-san suddenly let out a scream that resonated inside the cottage, obstructing my sister’s words.

Following that, Lilith-san, so that Manami didn’t say anything more, making full use of her own ident.i.ty quickly blocked my sister’s mouth.

“… Mogaa… Mogaa!!”

At her wits end, Manami, with her face pressed against Lilith-san’s b.o.o.bs… In the end, suffering from lack of oxygen, with a final “chin!”[24], she pa.s.sed out as if her soul had come out from her mouth.

Hmph, hmph.

Those b.o.o.bs… Are useful, aren’t they.

Am I thinking too much?

I think that there had been an event like this one before…

This way, thanks to an unexpected internal break up (?), I managed to avoid succ.u.mbing to my sister’s allurement.

× × ×

Two hours after that.

Having reunited with the monster trio who had underwent an additional curriculum, we ate with relish the dinner prepared by Lilith-san.

Lilith-san, just as one would expect from a professional maid, is the one who cooks the best from among us.

Ever since Lilith-san freeloads at the Kusumi home, the household ch.o.r.es seem to have become lighter.

After eating dinner, I took a light shower to wash off my sweat and quickly went to bed.

Since then six more hours have pa.s.sed.

I’m troubled. I don"t feel like sleeping at all.

It has been nearly three hours since I laid in bed and closed my eyes.

Even though the time is around 2 o’clock, thinking about what to do from now on makes my chest hurt and I’m unable to sleep.

Really, what can I do…?

Having to choose just one of the charming girls around me…

Once this camp finishes, they will, from me… Request some kind of answer.

Nevertheless, still, if I forcibly dodge it, I may postpone the problem, but… Really, until when will it work?

Though somehow or other… Even if I try to postpone the answer, I have the hunch that we’ll soon near the limit.

Giving up on falling asleep, I got up from bed.

When I set foot in the living room to drink water or something since my throat was dry, I noticed on the edge of my vision the figure of a girl standing at the cottage’s balcony.

When I opened the sliding window, the nice and cold night breeze flowed into the living room.

“… Manami. What are you doing?”

I called out when I recognized her.

This night I can’t leave Manami alone.

Somehow… That obscure thought pa.s.sed through my heart.

“Nothing. Nothing really. Just looking at the stars.”

“… The stars?”

When I looked up like Manami said, surely tonight, with the clear sky without a single cloud, looked like the perfect chance to gaze at the stars.

A superb view that you can’t see at the city that reflexively makes you hold your breath.

“Heeeh. Even Manami does stargazing.”

As I spouted my honest feelings, Manami, looking at me with scorn,

“… Oniichan. Do you think your little sister is something like a creature of unknown nature that crawled out from the depths of the h.e.l.l?”

“Eh? Am I wrong?”

At least to me, my little sister… I perceive her as an inhuman being more monstrous than the monsters.

“Of course you’re wrong!! Clearly Manami will be hurt if she’s told such a thing!”

“… No. My bad. Of course I was joking.”

I know.

As it looks like, we’ve been siblings for more than 10 years.

I know that my sister has an unexpected girly side.

“Oniichan. Do you plan to decide who you"ll be lovers with during this camp?”

“… Mm. More or less.”

“Just to make sure, is Manami not among the candidates?”

“…”

That’s correct, but since I feel that that’s too cruel, I made it as if I hadn"t heard and kept silent.

“Is that so—? Does my first love end here—?”

*SIGH*

Muttered my sister guessing those feeling of mine.

It seems that, even without words, she’s able to guess my intentions.

… No.

I’d say my sister is a girl more sensitive than anyone and able to read the mood better than anyone.

“Somehow or other… Ever since Zonmi-san came to our house, I had the feeling it would be like that.

Oniichan, someday… Won’t you end up going to a place where my hands won’t reach, so it seems?”

“… Zonmi-san?”

Unexpectedly, my sister called Zonmi, whom she only called zombie, by her true name for the first time.

“… Aha. Surprised?

Is not very like Manami, and though it feels revolting, now that my love has been set as unrequited it’s come to me as having no need to regard her as a rival.

With this chance, why don’t I change for reals the way I call her?”

“Haha…!”

Let’s say that it comes to that, I think that Zonmi will be stumped.

× × ×

Thereafter.

We gazed the twinkling stars without saying a word.

It really has been a long time since I last spent such a solemn time with my sister.

I think I’ll tell for a while a story from long ago.

I think you’ll think of it as unexpected of what I’ll tell you, but just five years ago… When Manami went to elementary school, just with looking at the faces of other people, she was a girl too afraid of strangers.

It’s a story that now would be difficult to believe, but… Putting it bluntly, Manami, for the six years of elementary school, barely attended cla.s.ses.

She read too much the mood of those around her.

Speaking from the result, that was the extent of my sister’s inborn strangeness.

When communicating with others, often it’s composed of a true intention and a façade, but my sister could see through the hearts of the rest as if she read minds.

I don’t know why my sister holds that special ability.

And then, the special skill of reading too much into the mood is, to an elementary school girl less of a merit and more of a demerit.

Why is that so?

Just because she had a figure nicer than others, she was thoughtlessly approached by her male schoolmates with ulterior motives.

Just because she had better abilities than other, her female schoolmates thoughtlessly were jealous of her.

The Manami from back then… Had to endure it all with that little body of hers.

… Since when was it?

When did my sister completely lose interest in people other than me?

Nothing but me was reflected in my sister’s eyes. They didn’t reflect.

Since who knows when, my sister, by directing all of her interest and concern to me, she could master the skill of keeping her peace of mind.

Does focusing too much on others make her lonely?

Does looking away too much from others make her lonely?

Really, which way would make her happy?

… Hey, Manami.

Tell me.

If, let’s say, I… Find someone dear to me and I become close to that person… What will be of your inner world?

“PANPAKAPAAN♪ Now one thing. Commemorating over ten years of unrequited love of your cute little sister, there’s an important announcement to you, oniichan!”

“… Yeah?”

After a bit of silence.

As if she had thought of something, suddenly, my sister blurted out that astounding thing.

“Oniichan. I… Have decided. Manami… Will become a monster tamer.”

“…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Really?”

“Really really. Totally really♪

To tell the truth, I’ve been thinking about many things since we went to the Netherworld, but I think that this is the best way to be besides oniichan—.

If I can’t be by your side as a lover… From now on, Manami will be by oniichan’s side as your rival!”

“…”

I see.

Certainly, like that she can increase the time she’s with me even without entering into a love relationship.

Like always, a wild idea very much like my sister.

“But… Monster tamer, you say, that… I think it’s not in the line of going to h.e.l.lo World[25] searching for a job.”

I only have a faint recollection about that, but I think you need to have your special talent recognized by the International Monster a.s.sociation and bestowed a Contract Ring.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. How naïve, oniichan~. Now look at this!”

“!?”

What my sister produced saying that was, with the same design as the one I’m wearing… A silver glittery Contract Ring[26].

“Manami!? You… From where the heck!?”

“It’s easy♪ This, y’know, I got it normally when I consulted it with Kana-tan?”

“… Wha?”

“In fact, it seems that it’s quite the valuable thing, but making use of Kana-tan’s connections, It seems that it was unexpectedly easy to get a hold of it♥”

“…”

Mom.

You… No matter how much you dote on your daughter, please don’t abuse your authority!?

“? Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen mom ever since we got to the camp, but… Manami. Do you know something?”

When I asked, Manami, shaking her head,

“Manami too doesn’t know, how’d I put it… Even Manami doesn’t know but 20% of what Kana-tan’s thinking about~.

But… This, I can tell you. Mom is hiding something from us.

Something she absolutely can’t tell us… Something very important—”

“? What the heck is it?”

“Well. Manami doesn’t know that much.”

Saying that with a face as if nothing had happened, Manami stretched with a grandiose “mmmm” and commented.

“Well, then, oniichan. It’s already late at night and Manami the good middle schooler girl kid has to go to sleep. Good night~”

“… Good night.”

Manami parted from my side in haste with quick feet.

Nevertheless.

At that time I caught a glimpse of my sister’s profile illuminated by the rooms lights.

My sister’s eyes, though I hadn’t noticed it until just now, were abnormally… Red and swollen by tears.

“…”

Sorry.

Sorry, Manami.

My sister’s world of thoroughly looking away from others; where she and me could be alone together that until now sustained her self… Had been completely smashed today.

However.

Even knowing that, still, the day I answer my sister’s hopes won’t ever come.

… But, y’know, Manami.

This I can tell you with confidence.

Just if.

If we weren’t brother and sister… Just a man and a woman living together in this world… I’d undoubtedly would had loved you as a woman without fail.

… Why is it?

Because I love you.

No matter what outrageous things we experience… I will always… Think of you as my cute little sister, the apple of my eyes.

A girl who, no matter how many times she was rejected, bravely whispered sweet nothings and devotedly serves you… Who would hate her?

…

……

While seeing off my sister’s back, who was clearly just fruitlessly pretending to be tough, I held such unspeakable feelings.

× × ×

At the same time.

The something Kusumi Manami had predicted Kanae was hiding.

That something, slowly, slowly, started moving.

However, Chiharu and his gang had no way to know that it had certainly started moving.

× × ×

This is the continent where the undead tribe lives, Living Lodge.

In it, there’s a midwinter land of perennial ices where not even a single monster lives.

The monster tamer that had tasted defeat in his showdown with Chiharu.

Lance Patriot was waiting in silence for his last moments inside an ice prison built by a dreadful power.

Cold.

It’s incredibly cold.

Inside the cell, there were sorry number of blankets prepared and a small quant.i.ty of embers not enough to sustain one’s live.

It’s seems that these undead b.a.s.t.a.r.ds think that I won’t be so easily killed.

Are they waiting until I get my life slowly drained inside this cell?

It can’t be said that they are very courteous with people, such a revolting bunch, cursed Lance.

(… Well, since it"s come to this, it’s not worth worrying about.)

Even if the cell had been reinforced with a special magic, Lance, who was once given the nickname of Tamer of Souls, held skill that gave despair to numerous monster tamers.

That in mind, there’s still the possibility of a jailbreak left, but… Surely now it doesn’t seem feasible.

(… Ahaha. There’s no need to be disheartened. Isn’t being defeated in battle a suitable fate for a rogue?)

When, his conscience growing dim, Lance let out a self-mocking smile.

“… ‘d grief. Such a troublesome undisciplined kouhai I have.”

Out of nowhere, a man’s voice was heard.

“Wha. You… How… !?”

Am I dreaming?

Who suddenly appeared before Lance was his superior monster tamer appointed by the Black Tamers.

The person called Clarie Shernfelt.

“Let’s leave the chit-chat for later. For now let’s scape.”

“… Useless. This prison is not something where a regular monster tamer can make it.”

“Ah, so. If… It’s not a regular monster tamer, they can make it?”

Right when the voice of a young girl was heard, the icicles surrounding Lance were reduced to dust.

“… Noelle!? Could it be that even you!?”

Noelle, both arms turned into those of a golem, spewed abusive language with sullen discontent.

“… Han! Could you not misunderstand? It’s not like I would care if you froze to death here, but… We are childhood friends brought up in the same inst.i.tution[27].”

“… Why the heck are you lot here? Could it be… Under boss’s commands!?”

Receiving Lance’s question, Clarie, promptly shaking his head,

“Nope. Regrettably it is not that.

Boss, right now… Is supervising the final adjustments of the Arcadia plan and doesn’t have spare resources left for any other things.

So, this… Is just a whim of mine?

Will you fight with us, Lance Patriot?

Your necromancer power is needed for the realization of our boss’s plans!”

“…”

Lance was left mute by the outrageous reply that Clarie gave.

“… Clarie-san. Sorry for wasting your goodwill, but I don’t plan on leaving from here.”

“… An? Why the heck?”

“To put it simply, I’m afraid of fighting again.

Kusumi Chiharu.

… Fighting that guy was bad news to a nasty degree.

No~. He’s out of this world.

That guy is the ultimate strong person with victory granted to him since birth.

Clarie-san.

I’m… Genuinely frightened. If I were to taste that fear once more… It would honestly be better if I died inside this cell!”

“…”

It’s not just the simple loss of body heat.

Kusumi Chiharu. Remembering my battle with him, my body trembles with fear.

As if I shouldn’t had fought with him.

I sincerely don’t remember what happened after we released our limiters.

… But, the fresh memory of his own defeat brought up by Chiharu’s overwhelming power was deeply engraved in Lance’s mind.

“Being afraid… It’s the same for me!

Frankly, right now my limbs are trembling. But, y’know, if we flew away now, who will support boss?”

Saying that, Clarie handed Lance a cane with a magic power stone embedded.

“It’s fine. You can do it!

Show it… To the world! Our power! This… Is the last battle!”

“…”

What the heck is this guy saying?

If we speak of battle power, the man before him didn’t hold a candle to Lance.

However, maybe it was because of that.

The man before him has experienced a number of defeats beyond imagination, and maybe because of that he doesn’t fear in the slightest losing.

(In the end… Even losers have their losers’ pride. Something like that? It’s not like I have such a hobby, though…)

Without a word, Lance took the magic power stone-embedded cane that Clarie had handed him.

(As if I had taken out a fish bone that was struck inside my throat… A wonderful and refreshing feeling.)

Lance, smiling, took out the dragon bone powder he had hidden inside the depths of his breast pocket for if the worst case came, scattered it around him, lifted the cane in his hand and bestowed to it transient souls.

*RUMBLE RUMBLE*

Then, while raising a sound as if the ground trembled, appeared the shapes of uncountable Skull dragons.

“W-what’s this!?”

Seeing those grotesque existences suddenly appear before their eyes, the ghoul gaolers fell into a state of panic.

Because of the large number of summoned Skull dragons, the ice prison followed the way of destruction.

“We are the Black Tamers, able to make crying children to stop! We’ll show you! Us, we have our own justice!”

With the crumbling building at his back, Clarie proclaimed in a loud voice.

“… It’s because they say these lines seriously is why I can’t come to like ourthe Black Tamer’s men—. As if taken from an old hot-blooded student drama. It’s cold in many ways[28].”

And, before the series of events that happened before her eyes, Noelle stated that awfully cold-hearted thought.