Volume 1 Chapter 41 True Form IV： Blood Rain Falls And The Ground Solidifies
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ugh, why the heck do I gotta go through all this trouble?”
Naoshi grumbled as he splashed through the water.
He was carrying MibuItsuki, who was still unconscious on his shoulder.
Even though Itsuki was out cold, he didn’t have any serious wounds, and being a werewolf meant he healed quickly.
In fact, Naoshi might have been in worse shape.
But now that the giant snake that changed this place was defeated, the Umeda underground dungeon should be getting back to normal.
They couldn’t tell where the ayakashi might pop up from, so it was safer and quicker for the two of them to escape on their own rather than just waiting for help.
Plus, Naoshi had completely broken Itsuki’s fangs this time, so he was no longer a threat.
”…Hmm.”
”Oh, you’re awake now, dumb Itsuki.”
After a small groan near his ear, Naoshi felt a soft movement on his shoulder.
After a moment of silence, a grumpy voice spoke up.
”Isn’t this treatment a bit rough?”
”It’s practical, though.””
Carrying someone using a fireman’s carry is actually a good way to move someone alone, but it seemed like Itsuki didn’t like it.
”This isn’t how you carry a girl.”
”How old d’ya think I am, huh? And for the record, I’m the one carryin’ ya on my sore shoulder, so quit your whinin’.”
”At least you could hold me sideways or something.”
”Wanna get dropped then?”
”Why do you get all the girls with this? Fine, just keep it like this.”
”Why’re you the one givin’ in now? If you’re awake, you oughta walk on your own two feet.”
”No way, I can’t. My head is spinning. Maybe it’s because I got hit.”
”Funny, I’m hurt all over too. Lucky for you, I’m bein’ a gentleman. If you were a guy, I would’ve tossed ya ages ago.”
”That’s not very gentlemanly, you know.”
After a loud sigh from Itsuki, there was silence.
The only sound was Naoshi splashing through the water.
”──Aren’t you going to ask why I was dressed as a guy?”
”Shouldn’t ya be sayin’ sorry first?”
”Yeah, sorry. That must have hurt.”
”That’s a bit too light for an apology, but whatever…”
Itsuki’s way of starting a fight was pretty intense, but Naoshi understood the reason behind it.
He had always said he was ready to take on any complaints.
Now that they had settled things with both of them still in one piece and with a victory, everything was done.
”──So, what’s the deal? Should I say, ‘Alright, let’s hear it’?”
”It’s a long story, though.”
”Just gimme the short version, would ya?”
”First, I need to explain my family situation. The Mibu family is officially under Niwazono, but in reality, we’re more like allies. Do you know that?”
”I reckon I get the gist.”
”Well, until the last generation, we didn’t get along very well. To improve our relationship, my cousin’s sister from our main family married the next head of Niwazono──.”
”Oh, I’ve heard about her. She’s that scary beauty who’s the boss of the house, right?”
”That’s her. But when I was born, that arrangement wasn’t settled yet.”
Choosing a daughter to marry off to improve relations between the two families is a big deal.
It’s all about bloodline or the person’s abilities.
”Ah, so ya were worried how Niwazono would see ya.”
”Exactly. I hate to say it, but my power is pretty impressive. If I got married off, it could upset the balance of exorcists in both families.”
”Yeah, that’d be a problem.”
The talent for being an exorcist is usually thought to be inherited.
Of course, sometimes a hawk can have a crow, and a crow can have a hawk, but it’s unlikely to have a pigeon or sparrow.
”So, that’s why I was raised as a boy.”
”Well, they say your cousin’s a beauty and super smart, so it makes sense ya wouldn’t wanna mess that up. Makes sense, right? I think.”
”Plus, she’s older than me. If I waited until I was older, it could complicate things.”
”I see. So, after they arranged the marriage, there was no point keepin’ up the boy act.”
”Now that we’ve settled things with Niwazono, it’s fine, but if that story spreads, it could affect the reputation.”
”──So ya can’t just stop dressin’ as a guy now.”
”Exactly. And there’s also the thing with Naoshi. If the only first-class exorcist in Shiga is seen as weak, they’re looked down upon even more.”
Even though they kept avoiding a rematch, he can’t help but think that they were still choosing to keep their chances of winning.
”Wait, what? I mean, I get the situation, but what’s with that lousy performance in the fight?”
”Ah… well, I guess it’s fine. I’ve already told you so much.”
”Oh, yeah. That’s rough.”
For a moment, he couldn’t quite understand Itsuki’s sudden and unexpected statement. He knew his response was lacking, and he could tell Itsuki was laughing at him from her shoulder.
”But it’s so consistent, it’s annoying.”
”Hmm. You think so?”
”Yeah, during the new moon phase, I’m completely out of it. It’s like my cycle is synced with the moon. Apparently, that’s common for female werewolves, especially in the West. I do have some of that blood in him, from back in the Meiji era.”
”Medicine don’t work on that?”
”Nope, it’s useless. I’m pretty much a failure as an exorcist.”
”I see.”
Kazuramichi Naoshi is a hard worker.
No matter what, those who know him well would probably describe him that way first.
But he was also well aware that there were problems that couldn’t be solved with just hard work.
”Sorry ‘bout that.”
Itsuki, who was one of those who knew him well, was able to sense the sincerity in his awkward words.
”Really, there were so many times I wanted to cut you down… Well, not that I could have done it.”
”That sorta balances out with you dressin’ up as a guy, don’t it?”
”How selfish. Well, it’s true that I also had secrets while pretending to be a friend.”
”Just ’cause we’re friends (pals), doesn’t mean I gotta spill everything, right?”
”What’s this, you’re being surprisingly gentle.”
”Not really. Just sayin’ I ain’t gonna drag things on for years like you.”
”──Is that so.”
”Yeah.”
There was silence again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Suddenly, he realized that artificial light was illuminating the corridor.
The floor, as usual, was made of a strange material that wasn’t quite dirt or stone.
”Hey, Naoshi, I think we’re getting close to the exit.”
”Yeah, probably should put you down now.”
”Wait, do you have to carry me like that? I think Suzuri-san would prefer if you held her horizontally.”
”No way, I can’t let a woman attack me twice in one day.”
”…I think it’s something you should reflect on, Naoshi.”
When Naoshi finally made it out of the dungeon safely, he was met with Suzuri’s frozen expression after hearing Itsuki’s circumstances, and a report from the family that Kazuramichi Yoshitada had disappeared with his mother.
* * *
”──Kazuramichi Naoshi-dono, please have mercy on me for just one night.”
Later that night, back in his room, exhausted, Naoshi finally realized the harsh reality when he saw Mibu Itsuki, dressed in a white undergarment, bowing deeply.
Why did this have to happen to him?
No matter how many times he blinked, reality didn’t change.
”5W1H.”
He sighed and rubbed his head, managing to squeeze out those words.
”──What?”
”Explain with the 5W1H clearly.”
”Tonight, here, I’ll use my body to apologize by making a baby with Naoshi.”
”I don’t get it!”
”Why are you angry when you’re met all the conditions?”
Itsuki, with her extremely feminine figure revealed, her white cheeks slightly flushed, and her lips shining a delicate pink, said,
”By the way, what’re ya gonna do if I say I don’t want no apology or anything here?”
”I’d rather commit seppuku than live in shame. Besides, with the way things are going, my family’s relationship with yours might deteriorate.”
”This guy… threatenin’ me without battin’ an eye! Look, I don’t wanna hear any more of this ‘apology’ nonsense and use it as some excuse to get in bed with women.”
”You’re being rather demanding, aren’t you? And I’m not even good enough for you?”
”Doesn’t matter what ya think. You’re in no place to be choosin’. And what does havin’ a kid have to do with an apology anyway?”
”I’m sure Naoshi is being pressured too. And given the situation with Suzuri-san, I won’t say that this is a done deal and you should just marry her, but I think it would be okay if you had one or two children with me.”
”Shiga’s sense of ethics is seriously messed up… Are you really okay with that?”
”Also, I thought I mentioned this before, but there are quite a few examples of pregnancy changing a woman’s constitution.”
”Don’t go tryin’ out new treatment methods on people! And if you’re really sayin’ I should play stud, how many women do ya think I gotta sleep with?”
”Wait, wait… there seems to be a misunderstanding. I mean, I like Naoshi as a person, you know? As a man.”
”Huh?”
Naoshi was surprised, feeling like they had reacted this way before, but they couldn’t believe their ears.
However, Itsuki looked completely serious.
”If it weren’t so, no girl would bring up a topic like this on her own.”
”Hold on, are ya sayin’ that bein’ a 23-year-old virgin is actually somethin’ to be proud of? That’s harsh.”
”There’s a little bit of appreciation. You still actively make enemies on all fronts.”
”What kinda weird setup is this anyway? Was there some foreshadowin’?”
”Setting? There was no foreshadowing or anything. I had to hide it because I was dressed as a man and got close to her, and she would have found it creepy.”
”Yeah, I get that.”
”That’s why I was pretty upset about those comments like ‘gross’ and ‘not happy’.”
”Hey, I ain’t guilty of that!”
”And if you’re talking about evidence, I sent you chocolate every year, didn’t I? For Valentine’s Day.”
”Wait, hold on… did you make those chocolates yourself?”
”No, they were store-bought. Why, did you throw them away?”
”Nah, but I got mad thinkin’ they were from a guy and all expensive, so I ate ’em all in one bite.”
”You ate it even if you didn’t like it. I was a little prepared for that, though.”
”Ya don’t waste food, do ya? People who do that should just disappear. Yuzura also gives me chocolates for friends every year too, y’know.”
”Hmm.”
(Thinkin’ about it, doesn’t it seem like everyone around here takes Valentine’s Day pretty seriously? Is that just a Reiwa thing?)
Or is this standard in Reiwa?
”Oh, and remember when there was a marriage proposal from the main family not too long ago?”
”Yeah, the one where they were actin’ all sly but never said nothin’ straight.”
”That proposal was for me, not your sister or cousin.”
”Wait, you’re serious?”
”I’d like to think you’d realize that by now. Well, as I said earlier, the reason for proposing to have children is because of my changing constitution and our families’ need for an heir.”
”Wow, draggin’ the whole family into this… that’s heavy.”
Sighing dramatically, Naoshi looked at Itsuki again.
Even though Itsuki spoke casually, Naoshi could see there was a different kind of tension in them.
”But still, a cross-dressin’ childhood friend with a bob haircut and a yandere streak, huh?”
”Yandere is a bit harsh. Let’s go with ‘sincere and cool.’ And instead of ‘ore-onna,’ I’d prefer ‘ouji-type,’ please.”
”You’re askin’ a lot. And then ya want me to still call ya sincere and cool?”
”I mean, regardless of everything else, I want Naoshi to take responsibility.”
”What responsibility are ya talkin’ about?”
”The responsibility of the winner. I was normal… until I lost to Naoshi, and now I can’t stand anyone who’s not stronger than me. It’s a real hassle.”
”That’s got nothin’ to do with me.”
”You can do something about it, can’t you?”
In reality, this whole situation was supposed to be agreed upon by both families, and the uncles who were supposed to help knew about it.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have put 2 people who fought together in the same room.
If this was rejected, they would probably come up with another plan…
”Just know you’ll regret it if ya don’t follow through.”
”I hope you can handle it well. You’re good at that kind of thing.”
Naoshi decided that arguing any further would just be tiring.
”You really do have a terrible view of me… Just this once, alright? I’m tired.”
”Well, that depends on you, Naoshi.”
As Naoshi thought about how Itsuki’s smile seemed more charming than refreshing, they pulled Itsuki closer.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply