"...Huh? Wait, Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?"
What the hell?! We literally just said goodbye this morning!!
"Nyaaahaha! I'm so happy you reacted just like I hoped, nya~"
Apparently, I was reacting just as she'd wanted. For me though, this was a complete shock.
"I'm sorry, I seriously don't get it. Why are you even here!?"
I stepped up and demanded an explanation. She just gave me that playful smile and said:
"Well, it looked like things at our base in that town were mostly settled, nya~ But I still want to keep the place on standby just in case something happens. That said, I don't really like staying cooped up there forever, nya~"
"So... what are you saying, in plain terms?"
"I came to play, nya~"
...Right. She came for fun.
"You do realize I'm on a school trip right now, don't you?!"
"Of course! That's exactly why I'm here, to mess with you, nya~"
Damn it. That smile is way too cute!
"I mean, I could've just wandered around on my own, but when there's a fun event going on right in front of me, why not join in, nya~"
It's been about a year and a half since I met Kuroka. She's always been whimsical, but this time... this was a whole new level.
"If that's how you felt, why didn't you just come with us from the start?"
She shut that down in one line:
"Because that wouldn't be any fun, nya~"
While I was still reeling, we suddenly heard loud yelling in the distance.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!"
Issei and the others came tearing over, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"IKKI!! You bastard, chatting it up with such a well-endowed kimono beauty all by yourself!?"
Issei, do not yell "well-endowed" in the middle of the street.
"98-57-86 from top to bottom! I've never seen combat stats, I mean, measurements like that in real life!!"
Motohama, keep those numbers in your head, though thanks, I appreciate the data.
"Well done! We'll take it from here. You go on ahead and enjoy Kyoto!"
"Who the hell would leave this to you, idiot Matsuda!?"
"Ah, so the trio Ikki always talks about are these guys, huh? I only half-believed it before, but seeing them in person… wow, it's really something else."
As expected, she seemed to have toned down the usual 'nya' at the end of her sentences when around normal people, no cat ears or tail either, and her normally scandalously open kimono was properly draped over her shoulders.
Still, about half her shoulders and chest were exposed, but it was more 'disheveled kimono' than outright indecent. If she'd been dressed as usual, the cops would've shown up for sure.
However, despite staring fixedly at Kuroka's cleavage, someone reacted sharply to her words.
"What!? 'Always talking about them'?! Ikki!! So you didn't just meet these people now?!"
"If you say she's your girlfriend, we'll curse you for generations! No, we won't wait that long, we'll settle this here and now!"
"We never heard you had a friend with such amazing boobs! You traitor! Also, introduce her, please!!!"
At Issei's last words, the trio dropped to their knees in front of the hotel, bowing deeply. I felt a pain in my stomach but looked over at Kuroka, who was clutching her belly and laughing heartily at the bizarre scene. Apparently, she was laughing for reasons other than me.
"Hey, what do we do now?"
I asked.
She put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment… then flashed a slight smile.
"Ikki~ Since we're here, how about a date?"
And with that, she clung to my right arm, meaning my arm was suddenly squeezed between her soft, mountainous curves.
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
The three idiots, who had just glanced up from their desperate prostration, screamed in unison.
"Kuroka!!"
"What's wrong?"
You know damn well what's wrong! Sure, we hadn't exactly been strangers to skinship, but doing it in front of others is a whole different kind of embarrassing!
"T-That's not fair… we want to date beautiful kimono girls toooooo!!"
"Die, you traitor!!!"
"I'm not jealous or anything, okay?!"
Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama shouted in that order as they ran off towards the city of Kyoto, though instead of heading to their intended nearby destination, Higashi Honganji, they sprinted off in a completely different direction.
Luckily, I had the disposable camera issued to each team, so before the scheduled 5 PM, I planned to use my spiritual technique to locate those three and bring them back to the hotel.
"Take it easy, alright? Just thinking about what's coming later gives me a headache…"
"Well, if you want, I could date Ikki, you know? He's well-trained, with a strong build, powers comparable to a high-level demon, and divine attributes too. He's a little childish, but that'll pass in a few years, nya"
Apparently, I have some divine attributes too, at least that's what Kuroka told me. At first, I didn't understand, but thinking about it, it made sense.
The 'Oppai Dragon' himself, Hyoudou Issei, bears the dragon's genes thanks to his dragon-type sacred gear, the Red Dragon Emperor Gauntlet Boosted Gear. This must be similar.
My sacred gear, the [Verg Avesta: Falsely Transcribed Creation], doesn't contain a god per se, and the 'Angra Mainyu' in the Fate universe isn't the real Angra Mainyu from Zoroastrianism.
To keep things clear, I call the real god 'Anra Manyu.'
In the Fate world, some spirits become gods through people's wishes (faith). So, the 'Angra Mainyu' that inspired my sacred gear is one such existence, a god born from people's hopes for an evil deity. Having some divine attribute isn't surprising, it's like having the same kind of power, if not the genuine article.
In Fate terms, you could say it's like Divine Attribute: E.
That aside,
"That sounds like you find him attractive but don't actually like him."
"If he donates genes, that's good enough, nya"
"…I swear I'm going to make you fall for me no matter what."
"Well, I'll look forward to it, nya But if you can't hold back, just say so anytime"
Please, stop saying stuff like that. My sanity is slowly being shredded…
After finishing our sightseeing early, around 4 PM, I figured it was perfect timing to find those three idiots out trying to pick up girls and bring them back to the hotel.
But suddenly, the world around us was cut off.
"A barrier!?"
"What!? I didn't feel anything, nya!!"
Two users of spiritual techniques, including one of the highest class, hadn't even sensed the warning, which sent chills down my spine as I moved into a combat stance, and then a voice came from somewhere.
"You seem stronger than before, but as a Nekoshouu (cat spirit), you're still a step short, aren't you?"
Kuroka was visibly unsettled by the voice.
"Nya! Could it be… Grandma Magari?"
Before long, a seven-tailed calico cat spirit descended before us.
"Still calling me 'Grandma Magari,' huh? Honestly, I wish you'd show some growth in that regard."
Kuroka gave a bitter expression.
"Why are you here, Grandma Magari?"
"I might answer that, but first, introduce me to that boy over there. There's a strong mixed scent, I assume you live together?"
Amazing, she could tell just by scent. Beast-type Youkai are terrifying.
"Alright, understood, nya. Ikki, this is Magari-sama, the elder cat Youkai."
"Those bad cats like this black cat call me 'Grandma Magari.'"
She was clearly someone important.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Arima Ikki. By chance, I've been receiving spiritual technique training from Kuroka-san. Please take care of me."
I wasn't used to honorifics, so saying 'Kuroka-san' felt odd to me.
"Oh, nice to meet you. Your manners aren't perfect, but I can appreciate your effort to be respectful. I wish some black cat around here would learn from you."
Harsh words. I could tell she was deducting points from my every little mannerism. Kuroka was already turning away from me.
"So, why are you here? Finding you was a coincidence, I came to Kyoto on business."
"Business? You personally, Grandma Magari?"
"Yeah. There's a real problem brewing in Kyoto right now… Have you heard of the 'Tsuchigumo'?"
"I've heard they're strong and fight anyone recklessly, like a battle-crazed demon, nya. But weren't they sealed somewhere in the mountains?"
Strong and battle-crazed… sounds like some kind of evil dragon.
"Apparently, the seal was broken. It's been attacking several Youkai villages in Kanto as it moves, and now it's come into this city."
Magari-sama shook her head with a 'here we go again' look.
"Luckily, Tsuchigumo only cares about strong opponents, so the public Kyoto remains peaceful. But the hidden Kyoto is on edge, so we've sent several experts besides me to work with the Princess of Yasaka to handle this."
I see, so the Tsuchigumo is the real troublemaker, and the Kanto Youkai aren't directly responsible. It's more about pride that the elite were dispatched.
"So, Magari-sama, does your presence here mean you still don't know where the Tsuchigumo is?"
Otherwise, we wouldn't be chatting here.
"Exactly. Tsuchigumo have a special ability called 'Tsuchigakure', they can hide in spiritual veins like our fire carriage Kasha. After causing trouble in Kyoto once, it's probably resting in some spiritual vein by now."
A monster that sleeps when it wants, wakes when it wants, and rampages when it wants. Really troublesome.
"So? You just happened to find me and decided to interfere?"
"Consider it a warning. You shouldn't face Tsuchigumo one-on-one in your current state. You need to be able to maintain your seven tails constantly to have a chance."
"Don't lump me in with Grandma Magari, who can naturally keep seven tails, nya."
"Well, that's the warning. Sorry for interrupting your date. Make sure you win over that guy properly."
And with that, she vanished, I didn't even notice the exact moment.
"Quite the person…"
"With my current strength, I couldn't win even if I stood on my head, nya…"
Kuroka, who's like a top-tier demon, was basically surrendering. She might be stronger than many Maous.
"So, Kuroka, what do you want to do after hearing all that?"
"Nothing, really, nya. I don't owe anyone enough to go out of my way to help against such dangerous foes. If others are dealing with it, I'll leave it to them."
"Fair enough."
After parting ways with Kuroka for now, I rounded up the three idiots, who had leaves on their cheeks as a result of their 'punishment' for hitting on girls, and returned to the hotel.
Kuroka had apparently checked in as a regular guest at the same hotel, but since her presence would make those idiots lose all restraint, we agreed to enter separately, in exchange for a free meal at the hotel restaurant.
Back at the hotel, as expected, Kuroka was bombarded with questions, which I dodged as best I could finally shutting them up with a bit of physical persuasion. I also stopped them from peeping on the women's bath (physically), and quieted their loud, late-night erotic talk (physically). Thus ended the first day of the school trip.
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20 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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