Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)

Arifureta Chapter 405

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AN: The onmyouji terms and history that came out in this third arc of Abyss Lord aren’t related with the actual things in the real world. I have researched a lot, but my knowledge of its depth is half baked and in the end I still don’t really get a lot of things (cry). I’m sorry but best regards!

「Ou?」

When he noticed, Kousuke was standing in the middle of a mountain once more.

There was a small red torii nearby. There were also fox statues scattered here and there. It was a scene that could be found anywhere in Fushimi Inari temple.

The sky was bright and the sun was positioned very high above his head. The air also felt very familiar to him.

「Could it be, I’m back?」

It was like a daydream. He even suspecting that could it be that he was really just dreaming,

But, he immediately realized that wasn’t the case.

「Nnuu~」

He gasped when he heard that adorable voice from near his feet and lowered his gaze. There he found the girl who he certainly encountered in another world. She was lying unconscious on the ground.

「Hinata-chan!」

He kneeled in panic and lifted her up in a princess carry.

Her hair was in her original black color. She didn’t have any fox ears or tail. Just in case he ascertained it by patting her head, but there wasn’t any trace of it remaining. It made him felt like he had been bewitched by some fox.

He also quickly checked if she had any injury anywhere, but other than her kimono that was still dirty and worn out like before, he didn’t find anything that seemed like wound on her.

「That white fox……」

He looked around, but he didn’t find the fox anywhere.

It was then, he felt the presence of a group of more than ten people approaching from a slight distance away. He could also hear the clamorous voices of people. Those voices came from men and women of all ages having fun. There were also high tension voices of excited children.

「We have really gotten back……」

That’s right, he got an idea and took out his smartphone from his pocket. The signal only had one bar but it was functioning.

He then activated a map application and confirmed his current location. The map was showing his location properly. It seemed that he was slightly north of “Inariyama” that was the peak of Fushimi Inari Shrine.

As he thought, that ritual thing must be the objective of that white fox. There was no doubt that they were returned here because they had achieved that. Kousuke let out a sigh of relieve while,

「To get thrown out like this, mister fooxx, isn’t that a bit too rough? Even Hinata-chan ended up like this……」

Letting out a complain. But, he immediately gasped by his own words.

Around ten meters at the other side, there were many tourists behind the trees.

And then, there was a girl with messy and dirty kimono in his arms. This was in the middle of a mountain and people could only be in this place if they intentionally went off the path……

This was bad. Extremely bad.

What if there was a tourist who got carried away and went yaay and veered off from the mountain path to here? Then, what if he got seen in this current state?

It would become a great incident. He could imagine the anthropomorphed figure of case court-kun rushing at him with a brandished death scythe to bring down the divine punishment on the miscreant!

「H-Hinata-chan! Wake up! Hinata-chan!」

Just in case, he took off the blazer of his uniform and stowed it into the “treasure warehouse”. After all something like uniform could become the greatest clue to ascertain his identity. But, doing that almost broke his heart because of how criminal like he was for thinking such idea.

「Uu? En……Endo-sama?」

「No way? Your memory of me is hazy! Spare me from that! I’m Endou! Without Hinata-chan’s testimony, it will be out for me the moment they see this okay? The process from reporting to arresting will be carried out so smoothly just like a flowing water! This is a danger that is going to push down my social status to the rock bottom of the abyss!」

「P—please calm down Endou-sama! My head was just a bit befuddled just now!」

It seemed that Hinata was able to wake up completely from seeing Kousuke’s lamentation. She gave a wry smile at the extremely anxious Kousuke and patted the arm that was holding her reassuringly.

Then her gaze looked around restlessly. She looked up to the sky and checked the sunlight shining down from between the tree leaves. She heard the faint clamorous voice of the tourists and immediately guessed the situation.

「So we have returned back?」

「Looks like it. It seems mister fox is keeping its promise.」

Hinata nodded and got back on her own feet with Kousuke’s help.

And then she placed her hand on her head and patted around. She twisted her upper body and checked her waist area. She placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes as though to check on something.

「I……if my memory serves me right, I lent my body to mister fox……and then……」

「We are already here when I came to myself. I also don’t know what happened. Hinata-chan radiated an intense light, then my consciousness was blown away right after that……do you understand what happened Hinata-chan? How is your memory?」

Hinata pondered for some time while groaning h~m h~m, but before long her shoulders dropped in resignation.

「My memory hasn’t returned. But……」

「But?」

「I know what mister fox want to do.」

According to her, it seemed that other world received an attack. It was unknown what was the objective of the attack or who was the culprit, but that white fix was the manager of that world.

And then, because the world was weakened by the attack from outside, Hinata was needed to repair the damage.

「Why is it Hinata-chan?」

「……I don’t know. Most likely the answer to that lie in my lost memory. The information just now is also not something that mister fox taught me. The best way to describe it is that kind of information is instinctually shared with me as we became one.」

「I see. By the way, I was chosen to act as bodyguard and bring Hinata-chan until that place but, do you know why it was me?」

「No. It’s true that Endou-sama was summoned as my guard but……」

「But?」

「But, it’s……mister fox have faith in your strength, and there is also this conflicted emotion――yes, if I have to make an example, I could feel an emotion of nervousness from mister fox like when there is an explosive in front of you. And then……」

「A-and then?」

It looked like what she was going to say next was extremely hard to say. Hinata quietly averted her gaze while speaking.

「……Because Endou-sama is its “colleague”. That kind of feeling was conveyed to me……」

「Even so an attack to another world huhhh! What a really strange story huhhh!!」

Kousuke diverted the topic with everything he had. With eyes that looked dead inside.

Hinata’s eyes were growing increasingly doubtful toward Kousuke’s humanity.

Kousuke coughed. He intentionally made his voice bright to pull himself together.

「Well! We are able to return back anyway. It feels like things are going to be resolved if we can find Hinata-chan’s family or acquaintance, so for now let’s just rejoice!」

「You’re, right……」

The two of them looked at each other for a while. Then they sighed in relieve at the same time and exchanged a smile.

「Endou-sama. What will we do now?」

「Let’s see. For now, I’ll contact my friend――」

Before Kousuke could finish speaking, his gaze snapped quickly to a certain direction.

「Endou-sama?」

「……Uhee, seriously? Hinata-chan, let’s move a bit from here. I think it’s nothing but, just in case, because it will be troublesome if we get found out like this.」

「Eh, ah, yes.」

Kousuke was looking at the other side of the trees where there were a lot of tourists with a frown. It seemed that Hinata also guessed it from the way he acted. That the “carried away tourist” he was worried about had really appeared.

「Geez, I get it that their tension is higher than usual because they are in a trip, but still, they should keep their manner.」

「Both of us are also out of the proper path though?」

「Ah, now that you mention it that’s true……」

「Fufufu」

Kousuke lifted her up in his arm very naturally. Hinata also relaxed her body and entrusted herself to him without any hesitation. She was slightly surprised by herself that had the composure to smile.

The reason for that was certainly in part because she was able to return back to this world but……

As expected, the biggest reason was undoubtedly because this deeply mysterious young man was at her side.

「Endou-sama.」

「Hm?」

「Thank you very much.」

She was given a puzzled gaze in respond. The feeling of amusement welled up inside her again.

「There is a saying that an outing isn’t over until you’re back home right? That’s why, it’s too early for you to say that.」

「I believe that words of gratitude are something that can be said at any time and many times.」

「I-is that so……yeah, then, well, your welcome.」

「……Could it be, Endou-sama is embarrassed?」

「I’m not though?」

「Fufu-」

What’s with this little girl, she is strong……I can’t say strong in what, but somehow I get that feeling. Kousuke thought with twitching cheeks.

Even while making such conversation, he found a place that was just right to hide themselves between some trees growing close together and camouflaged themselves.

「……Hmm?」

「What’s the matter?」

「……No, it must be a coincidence.」

It seemed that the carried away tourist was heading this way.

When Kousuke was in a camouflaged state, the average person would definitely ignored him even when he was right in front of them, but as precaution he moved to a different spot and hid themselves.

But……

「Ha? Eh? Wait a second. Why?」

Kousuke was showing a clear confusion.

It couldn’t be helped. Because the person who seemed to be a carried away person entering into the mountain had changed their course. To be more accurate, toward the direction of Kousuke and Hinata.

Furthermore,

「! From the north side too!? No, from the east and west too!? Aren’t there too many carried away people among the tourists today!?」

There were two people from each direction. A total of eight people. Their movement was like a group action of two man cell. Furthermore, they went straight toward Kousuke and Hinata as though to surround them. There was no way such coincidence could exist.

Or rather, although he had Hinata with him, the effect of his “invisibility” should also cover her when he was hugging her like this even if it wouldn’t be as perfect as the effect on himself. These people couldn’t possibly be ordinary people if this wasn’t effective against them.

「Endou-sama. Could it be, they are people who know about me……」

「I’m also considering that right now. Perhaps they are searching team that your family sent. Should we try talking with them for a bit?」

「Yes, please do so.」

He put down Hinata on the ground and the two of them waited.

After a while some silhouettes appeared.

It was a young man around twenty years old and a man around fifty years old. Their appearance like their outfit and the like looked like normal tourist.

But, there was one point that was completely unthinkable for a tourist. It was their atmosphere. Their atmosphere was far different from being carried away tourist.

Their gazes opened wide the moment they caught sight of Hinata.

「Found her! It’s Ohii-sama!」

「She showed up at Fushimi just as expected!!」

The men’s voices that sounded like angry yell echoed inside the mountain. The other two men cells that were still at some slight distance away in the other three directions rapidly closed the distance.

As expected, it seemed their objective was Hinata.

「Ohii-sama?」

Hinata tilted her head. The young man didn’t reply to that question and started contacting somewhere through his smartphone. From the content of his talk, it seemed that they still had other comrades in the area around Fushimi Inari. It was clear that the man was reporting of Hinata’s discovery and asking his comrades to converge in this location.

「U-umm! Who are all of you? Do you know something about me?」

Hinata took a step forward. She asked earnestly. From the way the man addressed her, she felt a small hope that these people were surely close to her family.

The men’s eyes widened for a moment. Right after that they showed a pitying kind smile.

「Ohii-sama, your memory is unclear right now isn’t it?」

「……」

Hinata didn’t reply right away was surely because of wariness. Because, she didn’t overlook it. From the young man, just for an instant, emotion of rapture that seemed to delight in her lost of memory surfaced in her eyes.

「It can’t be helped that you are feeling on your guard. However please don’t worry. We come here in order to protect Ohii-sama.」

「Protect……is that, because you are asked by my family?」

「But of course.」

「……Then, do you know my father’s name?」

「……Yes. It’s Taisei-sama. However, Ohii-sama, you don’t have your memory don’t you?」

The older man was good in hiding his emotion. His atmosphere was filled with sympathy the whole time. But, as expected the young man was still inexperienced. He was shaken even if only slightly.

For some reason, an emotion that was similar to fear could be glimpsed from him the moment the possibility of Hinata not losing her memory appeared.

「My father is the only one who I remember. It’s only a little but, he appeared in my dream.」

「……Dream viewing. I see. And, what did Ohii-sama’s father do in that dream?」

Even though the elderly man’s tone was gentle, the more he talked, the more anxiety gradually welled up inside Hinata.

「……He had talk about hobby.」

She naturally hid the story about the “elder”.

「Aa……you mean the gambling. The house head is holding an unusual degree of appreciation for horse racing, so perhaps it’s about that?」

「Is father’s hobby a common knowledge?」

「Yes. After all we all belong to the same clan.」

「Clan……」

「Yes. In order to search for Ohii-sama who wenrt missing, house head not only contacted the police, he also mobilized the whole clan.」

The older man took a step forward.

「Come Ohii-sama. Let’s go home. House head is waiting impatiently for your safe return.」

He held his hand forward with a kind smile.

Hinata took another step back. The older man narrowed his eyes at that.

「Can I, make a request?」

「What is it?」

「Please, let me talk with my father. If you are here because of his order, there shouldn’t be any problem for me to talk with him shouldn’t it?」

「……」

The older man was still smiling. However the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was wracking his brain thinking.

A tense atmosphere suddenly filled the area.

When they realized, the two men cells from the other three directions had arrived. As expected all of them only looked like tourist, but all of them were watching Hinata with some nervousness in them.

At this point, their explanation as a family who searched for a missing elementary student was too suspicious.

Hinata looked back. She sought for the only person who she could trust in this place.

But, it seemed that gesture severed the taught string of tension.

「I won’t let you-」

The young man put his hand inside his jacket’s pocket.

That was why, it became the breaking point of the “guardian”.

「Gua!?」

「What!? Gahah」

An instant. The young man and older man turned a somersault. Looking at them, there were fist-sized stones lodged on their stomachs. They must be thrown with a speed that gave them no time at all to dodge. Surely the impact felt like a punch for a heavy weight boxer for them.

The air of the place stopped. The remaining six people looked dumbfounded at their two comrades who fainted with their eyes rolled back, then right after that, they turned a very dangerous look toward Hinata.

Hinata’s throat twitched and the voice hih leaked out from there. She stepped on a small branch under her foot and lost her balance. She almost fell on her back.

「It’s alright.」

「Ah――」

A warm hand supported her back. Hinata who was almost turning pale returned to her senses.

When she looked up, Kousuke’s sharp look was――yes, the expression that was like a hidden demon sword that she saw in that other world was right there before her now.

「!? W-who the hell are you!」

「Since when are you over there!?」

「Don’t tell me……that’s Ohii-sama’s shiki-」

「Impossible! That should be impossible for someone amnesiac!」

「Then, don’t tell me it’s a type of youkai transformation!? She made it into her ally!?」

「That’s it! The proof of that is that thin presence that is unthinkable for human!」

「Shaddup! Why is every single one of you want to make me as something inhuman!? I was the one in hiding though!!」

Even while saying such complaint, a streak of shadow dashed behind the remaining six people.

The next moment, 「Gah!?」「Gua!?」 screams rose in succession accompanied with the sound of six consecutive blows. When Hinata noticed, the men around them were already lying face down on the ground.

「Eh? Ee? Huh? Endou-sama?」

Endou-sama was supporting herself to stand. He was right behind her. Then, the silhouette that looked like Endou-sama who just neutralized the six men in the blink of eye was……

「I’m a human okay?」

「Endou-sama. I won’t mind at all even if Endou-sama actually isn’t human!」

「I’m telling you I’m a human!」

He coughed once.

「These guys were quite threatening, but regardless, they definitely know about Hinata-chan’s circumstance. Let’s try asking them politely.」

She thought that his physical ability was tremendous to be able to outrun that many monsters in that foreign world, but it seemed that she was still underestimating him too much even with that. Hinata could do nothing else but feeling dumbfounded.

「Now then, using the Proud Villager――」

Kousuke took out a “five yen coin with string attached” from his pocket――in appearance only while it actually came out from his “treasure warehouse”.

But, before he could use that suspicious thing, kaaa the cry of a crow resounded with excessive clarity.

Kousuke and Hinata gasped. When they looked up, there was a white crow circling around there.

「That’s……」

「That’s not a normal animal. It seems similar with the monsters that we saw in the other world.」

The crow looked slightly transparent. There wasn’t any ominous feeling from it like the miasma, but the way it was clad in a haze that shined white was similar.

The white crow loudly cried kaaa once more.

Right after that, Kousuke’s senses detected a great commotion.

「Tsu. What’s with this number!?」

「Endou-sama! Something is coming!」

「I know!」

Haven’t we returned to the real world! Kousuke made a strong tsukkomi while lifting up Hinata on his arm again.

「Where can we go!?」

「We’re going down the mountain and slip into the crowd!」

Kousuke said that and broke into a run.

「W-why……」

「The younger man had contacted his comrades. They had also predicted that Hinata-chan would appear here.」

In other words, they still had even more comrades out there.

Of course, for Kousuke it would be easy to neutralize them even if there was a hundred of them.

But, something that was similar to those apparitions was currently approaching from all directions to here. There were nearly a hundred of them. This situation really wasn’t good at all.

After all the violence of number was always a threat no matter when. Not to mention he had someone to protect right now.

「I’m confident I can knock out all of them, but we don’t know anything about the opponent’s combat capability, so that’s not really a good plan to adopt.」

「However, even if we run-, our location! They know where I am――nnh. Aren’t they!?」

Just like before this. Hinata said. Hinata who was in the middle of experiencing going down the mountain in high speed like riding jet coaster pointed that out even while desperately clinging on Kousuke’s neck.

「Yeah. I don’t know how though. That’s why we aren’t running away. I’m going to set up a place for negotiation.」

「W-what do chu mean-!? I-I bit my tongue……」

Kousuke smiled wryly at the teary Hinata while explaining. He still couldn’t say anything with surety regarding the relationship between them and the white apparition, but whether the two were connected or not, crowd should be the most effective thing that would hold them back.

「They must want to keep everything hidden. If they aren’t keeping things secret, it’s strange that kind of fantasy isn’t coming out to the surface isn’t it?」

「I cii-, I see.」

「Hinata-chan. You don’t need to talk.」

They could do as they pleased because they were inside the mountain where there wasn’t anybody else.

Then they should be able to talk a bit more if they were in a place where there were bystanders.

And even if they couldn’t have a talk there, there would be no problem. Rather it would be more convenient.

「Being in the middle of a crowd make it easier to slip in and run away. That’s true even if they have a method to specify our location.」

Hinata nodded up and down to show her understanding. Kousuke apologized to her in his heart.

For hiding his true capability and taking this kind of method.

Kousuke had the method to oppose the violence of number with violence of number too. Furthermore he could even take on the swarm of apparition with his clones while neutralizing the suspicious men.

But that would mean exposing his hand to the unknown people who were clearly belonging to an organization in the middle of the circumstance surrounding Hinata. Not only that, there was also a risk that it would make them suspect the returnees ‘involvement.

If the opponent misunderstood that the returnee was officially cooperating with Hinata, setting aside his friends, there might be some consequence that reached their families.

For safety, it would be better to not easily show that “a returnee Endou Kousuke” was involved in this case.

At the very least until he was able to obtain information about the opponent to some degree.

「For now, I should contact Nagumo. Reporting, contacting, and consultation are important――whoops, they already caught up!」

A presence was approaching from behind.

Kousuke immediately twisted his body. Then large and long claws along with a huge body passed beside him.

「A tiger!」

Its figure was even more hazy than the white crow. It was like a smoke converging to make a shape. However the strange shape was clearly that of a “tiger”. It ran parallel to him while growling.

「Hinata-chan, hold on tight!」

「Yes-」

Hinata half closed her eyes while putting her arms around his neck tightly. Kousuke confirmed that before activating his “treasure warehouse”. Several kunai that he received from the family of a certain obstinate classmate who wouldn’t admit that she was a ninja were held between his fingers. They stabbed between the forehead of the white tiger that assaulted him once more.

The white tiger vanished like a mist without even any death throes.

Next several white dogs charged through that white mist. They bared their fangs at him.

Dodge, dodge, dodge. He used the trees like parkour set.

He countered using throwing stars that were given to him from the certain family that looked like ninja no matter how he saw it but apparently not a ninja.

After that there were white crows swooping down to attack from above. He intercepted them using swastika shaped throwing stars that he obtained from the certain ninjas too.

It doesn’t matter how many of you are coming! I have enough throwing stars in storage! Even the types are more than twenty! After all they are regularly shipped to me! They are from the throwing star maniacs of a certain Yaegashi-san family you see!

He thought that while running down the mountain for several minutes.

Kousuke came down until the foot of the mountain in the blink of eye. He ran past the torii corridor, then without stopping he leaped out toward the square where the main shrine building was located with his invisibility at full force.

The tourist spot was greatly popular as usual. There were people everywhere his eyes could see.

However, perhaps thanks to his full power invisibility, there was nobody who paid attention to Kousuke and Hinata. As expected those guys must have some kind of special pursuing method.

As though to show that, several men who seemed to have been on standby around the main shrine were paying attention to his way from the building’s shade. They were especially concentrated at the direction of the torii corridor, the large torii at the front, and other similar places. It seemed that they really didn’t want Hinata and him to approach near the torii.

「Does it look like we will be able to have a talk?」

「At the very least they shouldn’t be able to rampage if it’s here――」

That assumption of Kousuke was unbelievably a big mistake.

*Gou* Wind surged. When he lifted up his gaze in surprise, there was a white large money that landed on top of the main shrine. Then it immediately jumped forward without any hesitation.

「No way!!」

He back stepped in panic to dodge. Right after that, arm that was like a log and fist that was like a rock were swung down. The spot where Kousuke was standing just a moment ago was pierced.

A thunderous roar and impact broke out. The stone paving was pulverized. A small crater was created on the ground.

The people at the surrounding screamed by the explosion that suddenly occurred. It was an uproar. The couple and family that were relatively nearby were falling down.

「Surround her! Catch her no matter what!」

「We have the permission to go somewhat excessively! We can’t let her escape to the other world again!」

Kousuke’s ears caught the attackers communicating with each other while mixing within the crowd. As expected, it seemed that they were related with the white apparitions.

「All of you! Are you sane!?」

Hinata yelled furiously.

People who seemed to be the comrades of the attackers were gathering in droves. In addition the white apparitions were also coming from here and there.

(The other tourists can’t see them?)

Kousuke muttered in his heart. Even though multiple strange creatures had clearly appeared, the tourists were only staring at the broken stone paving in a daze. They weren’t paying attention to the apparitions at all.

「Ohii-sama. Please come quietly!」

Even though they were outdoor, a voice from unknown whereabouts resounded mysteriously. At the same time, a white large snake slid up toward them to coil around them this time.

Kousuke jumped to dodge that. Then at that moment, *turururur* his smartphone got a call.

When Kousuke reflexively picked up the call……

『Oi, Endou. Where are you right――』

「Nagumooo! Why are you always showing up at this kind of timing!」

Kousuke kicked away the large snake’s head while falling down. Then he slipped past the powerful arms of the large monkey that was leaping at them at the same time.

The strike that missed its target destroyed the stone paving once more. Screams rose from the surrounding.

『Eh? What did you say? It’s really noisy over there that I can’t really hear you.』

「I’m under attack all over right now! By some unknown guys!」

『Ha? What did you say――』

Even while he was in the middle of explaining,

「Eei, don’t move around!」

「That’s not a human movement! As expected, is Ohii-sama’s power still going strong!?」

「This isn’t the time to be hesitant with the damage to the civilians!」

「Catch her no matter what! Don’t be picky with the method anymore!」

「He isn’t a human anyway! Destroy that man by all means!」

Kousuke’s ears caught some disquieting words getting thrown around.

An invisible power rained down from somewhere. The air bent. He dodged the destruction in a hair’s breadth while,

「I’m saying-, right now, I’m in the middle of battling some unknown men! Shit-, what the hell is it with these guys!」

He reflexively cursed. It was just as Hinata said, they weren’t sane.

Anyway, he now understood that these guys were more eager to capture Hinata rather than keeping things secret.

He realized that and gritted his teeth because of his complete mistake in reading the situation.

He started running toward the front torii in order to get outside and left the crowd.

He didn’t even consider that his phone was in speaker mode and his classmates were going 「uwaa」 with taken aback faces because of the situation that was transmitted to them.

「Endou-sama! You don’t need to protect me anymore! Their objective is me! Please escape by yourself!」

Hinata yelled because she couldn’t endure it anymore.

He should have told her already in that other world that he wouldn’t run away. He glared at Hinata with that feeling in his gaze.

But, an unexpectedly strong gaze also came back at him from Hinata.

Her words weren’t words of resignation. She was implicitly telling him the same thing like in that other world.

It was the mettle to leap into the tiger den to obtain one’s objective.

There was also trust in there that Kousuke would come to save her.

From those guys’ words, it was clear that she was at the very least strongly connected to them. Then, in order to not increase the number of victim from their rampage because of the two of them running around, she would give up herself and obtained information.

However, they were planning to kill Kousuke, so she was telling him to run for the time being.

Her gaze was asking him, that he would definitely come to help if she called for him, right?

Even so.

「There is no way I can say yes understand in this kind of situation!」

That option was too dangerous. There was no knowing what they would do to Hinata.

That was why, for the time being they should retreat to somewhere with not bystander. Just as Kousuke was about to pass through the torii with Hinata in his arm――

「Wait, what? Talisman?」

The men taking position in front of the torii took out scrap of paper from their pocket. He felt like he had seen the papers that had patterns and kanjis written on them from somewhere.

「What are they planning with that kind of――」

「「「On handomadara abokyajayani sorosoro souka!!」」」

Their talismans――charms became slightly tinged with light. Right away, invisible ropes coiled around Kousuke and obstructed his movement.

Kousuke’s eyes opened wide.

「No way!? Onmyouji-, are you guys onmyouji!? I saw this kind of scene in a movie before! Owah that’s dangerous! You bastard, it’s cowardly that you guys use fantasy!」

A large monkey that tried to grab at him from the side was pierced through by a kunai that he shot with just a snap of his wrist. A big complain was dripping out from his mouth at the same time. It felt like there was a tsukkomi of 「Which mouth is saying that huh」 coming from somewhere.

There their comrades were gathering in drove to surround them. The white apparitions were also completely surrounding Kousuke and Hinata.

「Shit, even more reinforcement huh!」

「Endou-sama, I’m already……」

Hinata mustered out her voice with a pained look. She couldn’t bear to see the conflict continuing any more than this here.

Perhaps it was the bad habit of Japanese people. Even though there was stone paving that got pulverized, explosive sound resounding, and there as a young man and little girl with dirty appearance got surrounded by multiple men who were clearly having murderous aura, there were surprisingly few people who evacuated because they sensed the danger.

Rather they were completely transformed into curious onlookers who were seized with curiosity saying things like 「Is that a movie shooting?」「Seriously? In Inari Shrine?」「Ain’t that amazing?」「Is there any actor that I know?」.

So that was why. Right now there wasn’t anybody who got seriously injured thanks to Kousuke dodging the attacks with perfect positioning, but the possibility was high that there would be victim if this situation continued on.

It was certainly something that was hard for the kind girl to endure.

That was why,

「It’s fine so just shut up! I got surprised but just this much isn’t any trouble at all.」

Kousuke resolved himself.

This might give trouble to his friends and families but, as expected, he couldn’t take the option of running away alone here.

That was why,

「Kuku, I don’t know what is the circumstance here, but that rotten character of ganging up to attack a mere small child really get in my nerves.」

Abyss Lord stand by~! Stand by~! The invisible ropes got shaken off with a brisky turn!

「It looks like you bastards are in need of a bit of education.」

「Endou-sama?」

The attackers were dumbfounded.

And perhaps it was just their imagination, but the white apparitions looked like they were also drawing back from the abnormal atmosphere.

The curious onlookers also sensed the strange atmosphere and they were watching while holding their breath with great curiosity.

The sunglasses is on!

「Fuh. I’m not Endou. Call me with this.」

There was no meaning to it but, one more turn!

「Call me Kousuke E Abyssgate!!」

「Abisu geto?」

Hinata-chan was also bewildered but he was on fire. The turn was too brisk that her semicircular canal was damaged. She felt a bit bad,

Some of the onlookers went 「Oo~」 and sent their applause. Voices of understanding 「It’s really a movie shooting!」 also came. There were even sounds of *shutter shutter* taking the picture of the scene!

「Fuh, a thousand apologies my sworn friend. And so my abyss is unleashed――sworn friend? Mumu, my sword friend, why are you……the call is cut?」

He looked at his smartphone. No matter how he looked at it the call was cut. Fuh.

「So he doesn’t wish to get in my way. He is a considerate friend as usual.」

That absolutely wasn’t it. Hinata thought. Her clear instinct was right on the money.

「Tsk, don’t screw around! Ignore him, just finish him off! Retrive Ohii-sama from him!」

「We got the notice that it’s fine even if she lose one or two limbs as long as she isn’t dead!」

The assembled attackers took out charms simultaneously.

「Fuh. My dear princess. You can rest assured. I promise to resolve this without any harm to the people or even the enemies! I swear on my name as Abyss Lord!!」

「ah, yes. i’ll leave it at your discretion」

The lord took out a kunai and took a stance too.

The onlookers cheered. Hinata-chan was looking up to the blue sky with eyes that were dead inside. Perhaps she was running away from reality.

Right after that, the battle that would become hot topic “Appearance of bothersome youtuber group!? A scuffle at Fushimi Inary in broad daylight!!” “Real clone jutsu? Is it magic? The mysterious super skill!!” in the news and also internet began.

The result was of course the neutralization of all the attackers and the annihilation of the white apparitions.

But, the commotion grew to become too large that policemen surged in, so Kousuke brought Hinata away together with one attacker and left that place in great hurry.

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And so.

Kousuke who had completely went off the deep end as Abyss Lord grieved for a while in a back alley as Hinata consoled him while patting his head with a wry smile. That went for around an hour.

After that he finally returned to his senses, however, for some reason Hajime and his classmates couldn’t be contacted because they blocked his call (he could guess that they must be wishing to avoid getting involved with troublesome matter during their school trip though), so he got dejected for a while again.

In any case, in order to interrogate the kidnapper he abducted and talked about what they would do from here on in a calm place, Kousuke came to the hotel where the class planned to stay during the school trip at the first day.

He hid the abducted attacker inside a garbage can in a back alley near the hotel and brought only Hinata inside.

It was already evening. Perhaps his classmates already checked in.

Thinking that, he told Hinata to sit on a sofa at the lobby and went to the front desk alone.

「Um, excuse me.」

Of course, he couldn’t make the receptionist noticed him.

Hinata-chan must have predicted that. She had come to his side when he noticed and asked the receptionist in his place.

With that the staff finally noticed Kousuke.

「Pardon me. What business do you have……」

The one dealing with him was a young female staff.

Her bright smile was lovely. But her smile was gradually narrowing.

Her eyes traced Kousuke’s slightly dirty appearance and wavered in bewilderment.

And then, when she noticed the little girl in dirty and messy kimono beside him, her gaze narrowed in suspicion.

「Ah, I’m sorry. I’m a student of the school that is scheduled to stay here today……. Has my class checked in already?」

「Yes?」

Kousuke asked that while handing his student ID. After the female staff checked the school name written on the ID, her gaze went past being suspicious and changed into distrust.

The female staff eyes went back and forth between Kousuke and Hinata in high speed. She glanced at the elderly staff nearby.

「U-umm! We have a bit of circumstance!」

「Circumstance, is it……however……」

「No, I understand. We are suspicious no matter how you look at us! That’s why, for now I want to contact my homeroom teacher Hatayama-sensei!」

「No, look here……」

Her reaction was really vague. Or rather her gaze was becoming increasingly distrustful.

Certainly they looked suspicious in a glance, but he had disclosed his identity, so it should be fine if she at least checked with the teacher, Kousuke thought, but then an unexpected reply came back.

「Please pardon my rudeness, dear guest, but has you perhaps make some kind of misunderstanding?」

「Yes? Misunderstanding?」

「Yes. Certainly the group that dear guest mentioned had made use of this hotel but, they had checked out three days ago.」

「……Sorry but, I don’t really understand what you are saying.」

Kousuke’s jaw dropped in astonishment. He didn’t know what to think.

The school trip would last for four days and three nights. And yet the class had checked out three days ago? He should be gone only for less than a day. And yet the school trip was already over.

Kousuke was at a loss for words with his mind in chaos. In exchange Hinata talked to the female staff.

「Can you tell us what day it is?」

「The day today, is it?」

Her confusion deepened. The female staff looked like she wanted to question Hinata instead. But, perhaps because of her professional spirit, she at least answered her first.

According to her,

「Four days has passed as expected……since when I became Urashima Taro-san?」

Kousuke got into a stupor once more. This was too unexpected.

The eyes of the female staff were completely suspecting him as some kind of criminal.

Hinata was sprinkling her charms around to appeal that there wasn’t any problem at all here, none at all ma’am while dragging Kousuke to the corner of the lobby.

「Endou-sama. It seems the flow of time in that world and this world is different.」

「Yeah. My school trip is over.」

「P-please don’t look so down. Aa, don’t cry, Endou-sama-」

Hinata thought……he looked like a doggy who was soaked wet from rain.

「Anyway, we have to decide about our plan going forward from here.」

「You’re, right.」

A girl who was far younger than him was keeping herself together. When he thought that, willpower welled up from inside him that this wasn’t the time for him to keep being dumbfounded.

It was really shocking for him to learn that his school trip had been blown away to hell but……

Or rather, that call from Hajime was undoubtedly because they finally noticed that he wasn’t inside the bus that was going back and so he called to check on him. Right now all his friends were blocking his call as though they were conspiring together was absolutely because they didn’t want him to disturb their aftertaste of the pleasant fatigue from the school trip.

He understood their feeling, but as expected it made him wanted to cry. Because, he was a human.

「Endou-sama. I can’t give you any guarantee but, I will definitely compensate you for all your help……」

「Uu, I’m sorry Hinata-chan. You’re so considerate. But it’s alright. I told you right? I’m used with getting ignored and left alone.」

「Please don’t say such sad thing.」

Hinata patted his head while saying good boy good boy again. Her motherhood was terrific. Was there ever a child who was this considerate to Kousuke before this? It felt like her kindness was seeping into his sad heart.

Of course.

Seen from the side, this scene was completely “out”.

「You, can we have a bit of talk?」

「Hm? What is it? We’re a bit busy right now――」

Kousuke looked back when someone placed their hand on his shoulder. And then he turned speechless. His body stiffened.

Because, standing there were,

「Busy huh. I see, I see. Can you tell me more specifically what are you being busy with? What is your relationship with that girl?」

Police officers who were putting on a smile that didn’t reach their eyes at all.

At the front desk, the staffs were looking at Hinata with worried look.

So that was it. It seemed he got “reported”.

The officers apparently came running here with amazing speed. How capable!

「Y-you’re wrong. There is a deep reason for this――」

「I see, I see. So there is a deep reason for it.」

「T-that’s right! I have nothing to feel guilty about by all means!」

「Yep yep, is that so.」

The officer nodded with a gentle atmosphere. But, the severity within his eyes were inversely deepening to that.

Oh? Officers, why are all of you surreptitiously spreading out?

Why are you circling behind me?

Why are you blocking the entrance?

「Then, can you follow us to tell about that deep reason in the station?」

「T-that’s a bit……」

「There is nothing for you to feel guilty about, right?」

Kousuke thought.

Scaryyyy. This was a scariness that was different from the demon king. Even though he really hadn’t done anything to feel guilty at all, he felt like he was becoming a guilty existence! Officer, you’re scaryyy!

「U-umm! Endou-sama had been helping me out, that’s all!」

Hinata-chan, nice assist! As expected you’re a capable girl!

「You see, there are some people who made a great ruckus at Fushimi Inari just now.」

Hinata-chan fell silent. She averted her gaze completely.

「Yep yep, then you will come right――to the police station?」

Hinata-chan, quietly held out her arms. She offered both her hands. Just like a criminal who had resigned and confessed 「Officer, I’m the culprit」 , waiting for the handcuff to be put on her hands.

「Now, you too. This girl’s kimono looks really high quality but, why is it this messy and dirty……you will tell us about that in full detail too right?」

The officers whose smile didn’t reach their eyes at all were radiating pressure that seemed to say 「This enemy of children. You absolutely won’t get away」.

Scorning gazes were showered at Kousuke from the front desk.

Kousuke looked up to the sky.

And then he spoke with an expression of tearful smile.

「Even so, I don’t do it.」

The smiles and eye glints of the officers didn’t waver at the slightest.