Chương 115: Last preparations I
Part 1
3rd Person POV
"This is what I have so far." I took out a small book and handed it to Kaoruko.
I was wondering why she was wearing the maid outfit with a super short mini skirt and open cleavage. It was a masterpiece I had made, but I never expected her to ever wear it. It was not because I was afraid she would refuse to wear a maid outfit. She readily goes out of her way to wear anything I ask of her, however, this one was different. I had heavily underestimated Kaoruko. No, I was aware of it but... darn. She really has an indecent body. Her big butt made the already short mini skirt reach two fingers above what I initially predicted and her abundant behind could be seen peaking over there. The racy underwear with a thin a see through material was purple and just like I expected, it fitted her extremely well. The garter belt was tightly pulling the stocking I had selected and despite just deciding to use one size smaller to appreciate the voluptuous legs of this woman, she seemed to be ready to surprise me even more. It looked way smaller than I predicted, at least two sizes smaller, making it seem like she had chosen a size way over her league. However, the overflowing meat from her leg just made its way, but way better.
The way she was rubbing her legs together in a shy manner only made it better and I had to unconsciously gulp. The lace designs on the border of the stocking and an intricate purple rose pattern embedded within the stocking's material were indeed fitting for the mysterious and enchanting air she gave off. It was a tricky matter to accomplish but I did my best because it is part of my kink, not to mention I had gotten used to it. Making cosplay costumes with Kaoruko was not my first rodeo with 'fashion'. I visit Shion-san often to learn her craft of making clothes because I help Grayfia-san with her hobby of cosplaying. There is also the magical girl who asks me for costumes so I had to learn a variety of techniques to please them.
My eyes were not on the small book I handed over just now, and it was a matter of course. I would normally be cool with something like this given my experience in my past life and this one, but this woman was just too much. Each time she breathed, her chest moved accordingly and it was too distracting. I felt like they would pop out at any time.
While I was distracted by my inner monologue, Kaoruko gave me an embarrassed side glance as she picked up the small book. Opening the cover and reading the first few pages made her pay her entire attention to the contents as she took in all the information there in a matter of seconds.
"Did you create this...?" Kaoruko asked.
Shaking my head, I could not accept her wording.
"I have no talent whatsoever, but I know many talented and knowledgeable people." I replied.
I know many geniuses and know-it-all goddesses whom I could hoodwink- I mean, fervently request assistance.
"And they all came together to make this?" Kaoruko inquired.
Chuckling at that, I shook my head. If I had done so, it was not going to be possible to convince them to help me with this idea.
"I made a rough idea and covertly asked them for their advice on places I was not sure of. On occasions, my ideas were far from practical so they were discarded and they helped me to make it feasible." I said.
"...this is not something you can just make work because 'a genius' helped you. No, even if you try to hide behind a wall called several geniuses..." Kaoruko mumbled. "The fact that you were able to piece this together is an amazing feat."
"You are exaggerating." I smiled wryly.
"Do you think combining the magic system of different mythologies is easy? Take Norse and Celtic Mythologies, they both use runes but they are different in nature and the runes themselves are not written the same way. Many spells require the proper combination to properly cause phenomena. There have been many instances where people tried to make use of the fact that both are runes to create new spells, but they have been unable to make it work. In some cases, the runes explode right onto their faces." Kaoruko explained. "You have not only made two runes from completely different systems work, but you have also mixed Youjutsu while adding bits of Western magic of at least seven different branches."
Raising her tone, Kaoruko showed me the book and pointed at several parts excitedly, but I could not accept what she was saying.
"It is not that great of a feat since I am just piecing together already gathered information." I mumbled.
"You are downplaying your achievements here by a wide margin. Listen here, the base knowledge you need to make it work is insane. Not to mention that you have given me a rough sketch of a finished product, and not the actual trial book where the corrections are. To reach this, you probably through dozens, no, hundreds if not thousands of trials! You have made-" Kaoruko said.
Shaking my head, I gave her a firm look and she did not continue her words.
"...I lied to everyone about what they were helping me with." I muttered. "I am taking advantage of people who have genuinely shown me goodwill and showered me with affection. I am deceiving many people for my selfish reasons."
Sighing, I continued to shake my head sideways.
"I am paying goodwill with lies." I said. "A great achievement? It is not what it is. If I had failed after taking advantage of them so much, I would be too ashamed to even live."
Looking at me with a complicated expression, Kaoruko did not seem to have a good retort to my words.
It was ok.
After doing such a thing, I was not going to fail. I had already come this far.
"...regardless of what you think." Kaoruko said. "Even if how you reached this point was not something you like and you regret the things you did..."
Just like her shy self was anything but a lie, Kaoruko took a step closer toward me and placed her right hand on my left cheek just as I was about to look away. Her gentle touch felt more powerful than any strength I could muster and I let her guide me to be face to face.
"You are amazing." Kaoruko smiled. "You have done great. It is an amazing job."
Her honest and heartful words were hard to retort.
"It doesn't matter what anyone else says or if anyone gets angry at you for what you did. I will acknowledge your hard work and the will to succeed you have shown." Kaoruko mumbled. "Stand proud, because you have done something incredible."
Like that, Kaoruko said nothing more. She limited herself to caressing my face with a gentle smile. The affection in her gaze was beyond the level of friendship and went into the territory of love. It was a little hard to bear, to be honest. After all, an exceedingly beautiful woman wearing a suggestive outfit that was tugging the strings of my kink was in front of me. Her breath would hit my face rhythmically, bathing me in her scent every time. Her enchanting gaze was directed at me, solely me, like there was nothing else in the world that mattered. It was a harsh test of my will to resist.
I had already indulged myself before in the embrace of those cunning foxes and I was still a little out of it. The reason I kept all these years to protect my virginity was crumbling little by little since my body was in a terribly weakened state. I can guarantee that I would not cross the last line, but anything before that is difficult to resist right now.
Damn, this stupid world and the hot women inside of it. Even though the male populace is lesser than female, I find it hard to believe I have such luck with women. Is this another test? I will only hand my virginity to that temptress, Yasaka. I will not submit to these thirsty women surrounding me... yet. Yasaka was rather accepting of the harem and even encouraged me to leave many offspring with the nekomatas. It is scary how Kuroka-chan has already listed every girl's kinks and what they are willing to do during sex with me.
My inner monologue was a way to calm myself but it seemed to be enough to cool Kaoruko's head, or rather, heat it. Her pale skin took a darker shade of red. Her expression remained the same as before until I blinked once and she began to panic.
"Hawawa." Kaoruko closed her eyes cutely and tried to cover her face but I stopped her.
I am not sure why I had the urge to do this, but I felt like a few words had to be said.
"...you have done a great job so far." I said. "I am thankful."
I am not sure if it is because of the missing memories or not, but I just had to say that.
Saying this, I left the place.
It was ok to trust her. My memories were somewhat modified, but before it happened, that me made sure the me who came after would know.
As soon as I was far from her and I was certain one of her abilities would not be on me, I began to sweat coldly.
Raising my left arm, I still felt the pain from using my finger to dig my flesh and carve in my bones that it was ok to trust her. However, it was not the only thing I had carved into my body. I also warned myself of her abilities and a particular one I had to 'fake' many of the things I said. I was not even allowed to reveal my true thoughts because they would be read. Quite a difficult ordeal, but a thing that had to be done.
"Should I go to the Kudan village? There are some matters with the ninja village to settle as well, however, using shikigamis on the ninja village is possible and I could remotely deal with it, but the Kudans... Urgh, if I had more time, I would try to get the Onis to work as well." I scratched my head. "No, I wasted time resting and my body recovered more than enough. I must go THERE."
Briefly wondering if missed something, I nodded once I organized the rest of my thoughts. The schedule was made packed but I also took into account certain delays.
"Would you happen to have some free time?"
A lazy voice was heard from behind me and immediately a gloved hand was placed on my right shoulder. The voice and scent that reached me were more than enough to identify who she was.
"Yukari, you sure like to appear from behind me." I sighed.
"You can prank people better that way." Yukari giggled. "And I like the rearview."
"If you truly want to surprise them, you should hide your scent." I said. "And you could just quietly enjoy looking at my ass, why do you let me know about it?"
"Ara, I usually hide it. There are only a few select people who have ever taken my scent inside their bodies like you have." Yukari chuckled. "Not to mention, to find me from my scent, there are even fewer people who can tell that I am nearby that way. You might be the person most familiar with my scent... besides my servants."
"And who was the one that made ME into her PERSONAL servant for a while?" I retorted.
"Oh? How odd, you make it sound like I took advantage of you." Yukari sounded amused. "I offered you a lot of benefits, don't you recall? I believe you were the one taking advantage of me quite a bit."
At those words, I had no words to retort. It was indeed true that she offered me a lot of benefits. Putting aside the times I felt like she was going to push me down and have sex with me, there were also a lot of 'services' she bestowed upon me. Upper and lower places. However, it is also true that she aided me greatly in learning how to make pocket dimensions. I took her hellish lessons and was able to make a lot of things because of it. Even if I outwardly complain, I am extremely grateful for her help.
"I had fun." Yukari's tone was amused. "We should do it again."
Turning my head, I gazed at her mischievous expression.
"Do you dislike the idea? Did you perhaps get tired of my body already?" Yukari made a pitiful expression.
"You make it sound like we were f*cking like rabbits all the time..." I sighed.
"I wish. If only someone had eaten that kitsune, I would be able to make my move free of guilt." Yukari sighed heavily.
"It is kind of scary when you say it. If you wanted to eat me, I would be unable to resist or hide." I said.
It was the absolute truth. Her abilities made it possible to open gaps in space practically whenever she pleased so I could wake up one day with half of my body inside one of her gaps as her sweet moans reached my ears through the gap. The fact that I was quite aroused by that thought shall remain a secret. Not to mention, some plays she introduced me to.
"Nonetheless, you cannot deny that your hands have touched every inch of my body that could be touched." Yukari smiled. "Given that, you should admit that you are now entitled to take responsibility."
"I cannot deny your claims, but I must make a point and complain that the one who dragged me into her bed to make me her body pillow at night was none other than you. The fact that you do not usually sleep naked at those times only was already discovered by me already, you know?" I sighed.
"Ara, I didn't hear a complaint at that time." Yukari giggled.
"A little hard to do when your head is buried in your firm and juicy breasts." I retorted.
"Well, thank you for your kind words and honest thoughts about my body. It pleases me that you would without any doubt, bury your head between them if you have the chance again." Yukari smirked. "I hope you do that soon, otherwise the marks will end up disappearing."
"Hey, I did not say that." I coughed and ignored the latter part.
"If I were to offer that opportunity to you at this very moment, would you turn down the offer?" Yukari asked.
"...you are a bully." I groaned.
"I have not heard you turn down my offer yet." Yukari narrowed her eyes.
...
...
...
"You are an indecent woman." I said.
"Fufu, isn't that a good thing?" Yukari replied as licked her lips and fixed her outfit.
Having left behind the HQ, Yukari dragged me to her place while we had some fun.
Busily fixing my outfit, I also wiped the lipstick marks she left all over just so she could mark me.
"...why?" I asked by reflex.
"Are you acting dumb now? If you make this 'indecent' woman yours, I am more than willing to use my powers for your sake and your very own indecent plays." Yukari smirked, but the glint in her eyes was deadly serious. "I would do, anything you asked of me."
I was certain that if I asked Yukari to get me any woman even if that woman did not like it, Yukari would do it. Her eyes were that serious, there was this madness inside of them that I could very much recognize.
"Look at you staying silent. If you do not like the idea of relying on me to do sexual plays... You could always try that ability of yours on me. Link, was it? You called that absurd ability such a simple name." Yukari shrugged her shoulders.
"It is not absurd, I simply make a link to-" I opened my mouth.
"Please do not insult my intelligence. I am well aware that you have noticed that... there are other stages to that ability. Not to mention, do you think it is normal that you can keep a link to another person the way you do?" Yukari scoffed. "Regardless of the distance and even bypass barriers that are considered masterpieces that no one has found the way to fool has been unable to stop your ability."
"Sorry, I did not mean to insult you." I bitterly said.
However, there was some truth to what she just said. There was more potential to the magic I created.
"You sure do look cute when you are dishearted." Yukari mumbled in amusement.
Her words made me somewhat annoyed, treating me like a child.
"One day, I will push you down and you will not be able to escape me even if you want to." I begrudgingly said.
"Fufu, for that, you need to live through what is to come." Yukari giggled.
Shocked, I almost showed it on the outside, however, I restrained each muscle in my body, particularly my face from reacting to her words.
"I don't want you to die. I mean it." Yukari said. "We will do everything in our power to help you so do not die."
"...you are a busybody." I replied.
Sorry, but I-
"If you survive, I will offer you Ran and Chen's virginities," Yukari said.
Oi
"Fufu, then you can eat me as your reward as well." Yukari chuckled.
"It doesn't matter what I ultimately choose, I will have to ultimately have sex with you at some point, won't I?" I was a little speechless.
"Give it up. I have made clear my intentions of getting intimate with you since day one. I will not take it kindly if you act obvlious to my advances when the obstacles are out of the way." Yukari's words were serious.
"How about my opinion there?" I asked.
"Is there any part of my body you dislike? My breasts a big and you can hardly cover one on one hand, I am not as big as Raikou or Yasaka, but I can match Saya. My ass is also in great shape and you can vouch for it since you stare at it from time to time." Yukari spun her body in place. "You also said once that you would spank me until I begged for mercy."
"...why is Kaa-san a measurement...?" I sighed. "And please forget about that last part, I was frustrated back then and it was not with a sexual innuendo, although if it is related to that big butt of yours, anything turns sexual."
"Her body is attractive, is it not?" Yukari raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, but..." I was at a loss for words.
"I think you know about why I said it then. Mister mothercon." Yukari crossed her arms and pushed her ample chest, making me wonder how her outfit can hold those bunnies from escaping its confines despite looking ready to burst.
"Gununu..." I groaned.
"Was it last week? Around 6:45 pm, Monday, Saya and you-" Yukari began talking aloud.
"Ok, I get it. You want me to say it, right? That is what this is all about." I admitted defeat.
"I would be happy if you simply were to become honest... but now that you offered." Yukari gestured at me.
"Is it fun to bully me?" I pouted.
"Yes, now get onto it." Yukari urged me.
"I will one day push you down and bully you." I grumbled.
"That's a given, bully me a lot at that time, but don't go changing the subject." Yukari smirked.
This woman.
"...I am a mothercon." I mumbled.
"What else?" Yukari narrowed her eyes.
"I am a huge mothercon who is into his mother's sexy thick body." I said.
"Wow, I did not expect you to actually say it." Yukari hid her phone that was in recording mode inside her cleavage.
"You are the bane of my existence." I looked at her with unkind eyes.
"Well then, now that you have given me good content to remain amused for a while... let me inform you that I found someone who could help you." Yukari ignored my animosity.
Glad you could have fun after abusing this poor cat.
"I have to abuse you while I have the chance, once you start abusing me, I don't think my body will have the energy to mess with you." Yukari shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh, shush. Just tell me where I can find that person." I retorted.
"Follow me, I captured one of the members from her group. Negotiation will be up to you, my dear, I believe you of all people are... capable of making her listen to you." Yukari smiled knowingly.
"You are not bad with negotiations, even better than me since you can grasp what people actually want... why would you want me to negotiate with her if you cannot do it?" I asked.
"Oh no, dear. I am making use of my abilities and that is why I am sending you. There are several reasons why you will be capable of doing it. Not to mention, she might be reluctant to listen to my words." Yukari shook her head helplessly, yet, there was this impulse to laugh that she was trying to hide.
"I have a bad feeling about this... Urgh." I facepalmed.
...
...
...
After leaving some tasks to complete to Yukari, and coaxing her to complete them, I asked about the person she talked about before and Yukari summoned Ran to guide me there. A wild Chen appeared along with the kitsune and was affectionate to me for a while, but I had no time to play around. Thus, I convinced her to play with her another day. Chen seemed pleased so she left me off easily. The kitty that Yukari raised is darn strong but for some reason, she listens to me. If I had to name an issue was that... she was seriously into me. I don't mean to brag, but her affinity seemed to be capped at max since the beginning. However, that comes with its own set of troubles, such as the cat sexually harassing me. I didn't get eaten only because Ran keeps the cat in check so she is my savior. The issue is that she does not seem to like me very much. I considered telling her that Yukari was really to sell her out to me, but I calmed down my urges. With idle thoughts, I was taken away by Ran. Then the kitsune proceeded to guide me through the numerous sliding doors until she paused on one.
Without saying anything else, she gestured at me to enter. Giving me a respectful bow, she left.
She might dislike me, but Ran was nonetheless polite at her core. I have to praise Yukari later for raising this kitsune so well.
Wiping the nonexistent tear from the corner of my eye after being moved, I opened the sliding door to find an exaggeratedly tied woman obscenely hanging from the ceiling, her flexible body made it possible for that high-level yoga move where the soles of her boots were almost touching her head. Her body showed no signs of being forced to the limit so she might be capable of more dextrous moves.
The red rope in bondage turtle shell clung to her body and it appeared to be perfectly made to show off her assets to the viewer. Not sure if that was... ok, at this point I am pretty sure Yukari left her like that as an eye candy for me. I should be angry and exasperated but sometimes I have to admit that the sheer devotion she has to please me is worthy of respect even if it is something like this.
Whistling, I wondered briefly what the heck did I get myself into. In the meantime, as I made my brain work for what it is worth, I observed the woman.
She looked to be in her late twenties or perhaps early thirties. A stunning woman, appearance-wise.
However, there was a detail I could not help but notice. I wondered momentarily if it was because she was doing it consciously, or maybe it was the ropes stopping her from concealing that fact.
"Traces of a Fae? Not to mention, the divinity irradiating from her is no joke." I sighed.
Even her mouth was covered. I was not sure which word should I use to describe this. Yukari sure went bananas with this.
An eery detail was that the woman was extremely calm despite her situation. She was calmly looking around the room with curiosity until I stepped in. Not even once has she struggled or tried to break free. She might either have nerves of steel or is a little cuckoo in the head.
Sighing, I wondered if it was my fate to be entangled with 'unique' individuals like her. Walking up to her, her curiosity-filled gaze did not miss any of my movements as her interest was plain obvious from just the way she looked at me. As I got closer, it was difficult to ignore a small warning written in Kanji on the rope saying that her mouth should remain covered.
Ignoring that, I simply swung my arm down and the ropes were all cut. It was nothing grand or special of a technique since I simply grew claws made of ki at the timing of my arm going down and retracted them so they would never harm the woman so I was not sure why she showed some surprise at my action. From the way her eyes moved and her pupils reacted, I was certain that she saw my movements thus it was not like she got scared from my sudden action.
Leaving that for Nora in the future to think about, I moved to catch the woman. My arm clumsily extended and I happened to grab her breast after I tripped over nothing... is not what happened.
It was not like my luck didn't throw me so low balls like those, but rather, I would prefer that if I wanted to grab some oppai, it is out of my own will.
She tried to maneuver but her body was a little sluggish, perhaps Yukari's doing to keep her in check. Then I happened to be added to the equation so we shared a look briefly and she twisted her body. Using my left hand, that she grabbed, I gave her some stability along with my right arm that went around her waist. It was coincidentally similar to the dance move known as the dip.
"...hello." I offered a greeting.
The woman gave me an amused smirk but did not say anything. Despite my arm being around her waist and one hand holding her other hand, she seemed oblivious to that fact. The beauty seemed more interested in looking into my eyes with a keen fascination for some odd reason.
It was not like I was not enjoying myself a little since we were glued to each other and I could feel her 'generous' body clearly thanks to her rather thin garments.
"Lady, where are you touching?" I suddenly felt the urge to drop her.
Her free hand was dishonest and she began to feel my back and below. Why do the girls like to squeeze my butt?
"I think it is only fair given how much you have enjoyed my body."
Replying as such, the woman shamelessly continued to molest me.
"It seems like she really left."
Muttering that, the woman smiled again and with one last squeeze, her hand released me and tapped gently on my shoulder.
"Do you mind?"
At her words, I helped her stand up, and we parted ways.
Sighing, I extended a hand toward her once she took a step away. The woman was mildly surprised but she 'obediently' handed me my wallet back.
"...please give me back all the contents as well." I sighed again.
Just from the weight, I noticed that I was missing my ID.
"This picture certainly needs to be updated."
Without trying to hide her actions, she observed my ID and compared briefly the data on it. Particularly, the picture that dates back a couple of years ago.
"Oh shuus, I don't think I need to do it that often. There is also a ruckus every time I go to have my picture taken. The last time, they brought a professional photographer from a famous magazine and it took the lady two hours to settle on the right picture to put there." I recalled the past. "Those people were crazy enough to even sell my pictures as keychains and coffee mugs."
"...amusing individual indeed."
The woman muttered.
"It is not that amusing when you are the one living through it." I retorted.
"...I don't think regular humans could stop you if you wanted to leave, Mister Youkai."
Smirking, the woman walked in a circle around me.
"Am I supposed to throw a smoke bomb and some spell out in the open so I can flee?" I said. "Yasaka was the one to send me there to get my ID, thus it was obvious who was behind getting my picture taken by that photographer. I could not simply say I was too shy to take my picture with all those people there. I have a reputation for being shameless to protect. Miss Hottie."
"Oh my, straight to flirting when you get the chance."
Carelessly tossing my ID back to me once she passed in front of me, the woman continued to circle around me.
"...bad habits die hard." I sighed.
Hearing the familiar sound of a gun's safety being released and feeling the muzzle of the gun placed on my back, I felt like sighing again.
"Is letting down your guard one of your bad habits as well?"
Asking such a thing, she leaned toward my right ear while placing her left hand on my left shoulder, as she kept her right hand pointing a gun point blank at my back.
"I am not letting down my guard. I doubt you will shoot me since you are just killing time and would rather not arouse Yukari's attention. I also doubt you would try to take me as a hostage. If you are unlucky, Ran will be the one to arrive first and she would cheer you on if you wanted to shoot me. Chen might go bonkers, but Yukari would not make a move just for blasting a couple of holes using that gun of yours on my body, considering it can even bypass my garments which are by the way, able to stop regular bullets from guns." I muttered. "I won't be dying even if your shot is strong enough to blow a hole big enough to obliterate my spinal cord and the surrounding area. So I am not simply letting my guard down as you said, I simply don't care."
Shrugging my shoulders, I could almost see the woman's conflicting emotions reflected on her face even though she was standing behind me. A madman, that must be her impression of me but I can clearly tell that she is incredibly amused.
Nonetheless, I simply ignored it all and walked toward a corner of the room and leaned my back to a wall.
Once I did that, I saw the woman with a rather enigmatic gaze directed at me. The teasing smirk that was plastered on her face was nothing but a mask to hide away her real thoughts and emotions, so it was not easy to read her fully. I had learned similar tricks from the old man. Not only did I learn a number of ways to disguise myself but he even gave me acting classes that could put celebrities on the screen to shame. I owe a lot to that guy who taught me how to manage my expressions, and I somewhat made sure to fulfill his last wish. If only his daughter was more... normal.
"And here I thought I was insane."
The woman chuckled.
"Aren't we all?" I retorted.
"My name is Kafka." The woman, named Kafka, asked. "What's yours?"
"They call me Galactic Baseballer, I mean, I am Nora Shiki." I said.
"...you are the second person I have met that has used that nickname, are you related to that girl...?" Kafka raised an eyebrow.
"...given the number of women I come across daily, and also counting the larger number of women compared to men ratio, I should say I do not know who you are talking about. However, if I say the word 'trashcan'..." I inquired.
There was a slight crack on Kafka's expression and it made me sigh as well.
"Let's leave it at that." I said.
Nodding, Kafka put away her gun.
"I had heard about you before, but you are certainly an amusing person." Kafka crossed her arms.
Openly staring at her chest, I wondered if I could anger her but she simply gave me a look like those onee-sans I find on the street and pushed up her chest to see my reaction. Snorting to that, I looked away.
"That so? Be careful not to fall for me. I have a 100% capture rate for Onee-san types, so I suggest that you don't act like one unless you want to be entangled with me." I said. "...no, seriously, this is like a passive skill at this point."
Sighing, I recalled the number of women after my poor body and how they all called themselves my Onee-sans. If Kaa-san had a girl before me and then she had me, I would have an older sister. Considering Kaa-san's behavior so far, I can only imagine that my sister would've eaten me by now, and I might've let her do it with a grin on my face.
"That could be problematic then." Kafka enigmatically said.
That gave me a foreshadowing feeling that was hard to bear.
Just then, the space in the center of the room seemed to twist. I felt the barrier that was set by Yukari being torn and a small circle of the size of a fist that grew to a person's size appeared.
"...it is time to go." Kafka smiled.
Sighing for who knows how much now, I hesitated over the reason I asked Yukari to find this person.
"That so? Sorry about Yukari's methods." I mumbled. "She is a good person at her core, but she takes pleasure in messing around with people."
The abilities I require need to be high. Spatial skills, infiltration skills, and if possible, the ability to hold their ground against powerful people in case they are found out. There is a limit to how much I can accomplish alone with my time limit, but I guess I cannot simply push this to someone else. I just have to work hard. Gotta do what you gotta do... Even if my body breaks down in the process.
Suddenly, from the circle that was pitch black, the head of a cute but bored-looking teen popped out.
"Kafka, how long are you going to stand there? It took a lot of effort to break through that youkai's barrier, there is no telling when she will notice us. Huh? I didn't think there would be anyone with you."
At those words, another head popped out from the circle as well, this one belonged to a young woman with a similar enigmatic air about her just like Kafka. I caught a brief scent as soon as her head popped out and I could definitely tell that she had some connection to dream demons such as succubus, her distinctive lavender hair seemed to face into a darker color at the end.
"Ara."
The young woman looked at me and smiled when she saw me.
Followed by her, another head popped out and she also smiled when she saw me. The person looked to be older than the previous teen but somewhat younger than the young woman, however, she looked more mature and composed than the teen, and her blonde hair was short.
"Ara."
"What's this, the Ara Ara squad?" I retorted.
The teen smirked, along with the rest of the women who chuckled.
"We are leaving." Kafka said so and the ladies gave me one last look before getting inside the pitch-black circle.
The job I had in mind was too dangerous and the repercussions would be too heavy so I decided to take care of it myself.
"What are you doing? You are coming too." Kafka walked toward me.
"Nonsense." I replied.
"FOLLOW ME." Kafka spoke.
Her words seemed to carry a strange power and before my body moved, I resisted. Unfortunately, I was not carrying my dear magatama, otherwise, I could simply ignore it. However, I had to resist using my will. This small delay and the surprise from it made me delay my reaction. Then Kafka had me wrapped in thin wires made of an unusual material connected to her gloves.
"So you have met people with similar abilities before." Kafka mumbled.
Without delay, she picked me up in a princess carry and went toward the circle.
I was slightly dumbfounded by the events that just went by. It was not like I had not met people with abilities like Kotodama, it was not a common skill, but I met someone who had a similar skill before and even had some training to resist it. However, the lack of ill will delayed my actions. I am so used to reacting to people who wish to harm me that I am letting down my guard with people who I don't feel any danger from. My physical state might have something to do with it as well, but that did not change the fact that I am still processing what is happening with surprise.
I intended to ask a highly capable group of people to help me 'acquire' some things one way or another, but I was somewhat 'acquired' by the one caught and tied not long ago.
Yukari must've been aiming for this now that I consider how she tied the other party and has not made a move to help me. I can bet my secret collection of Maid4Life that she is laughing at me as she watches me using magic. No, maybe she is simply recording and ready to keep it as a video to enjoy later.
I guess I should get revenge on the woman... Lewdly. There is no need to act dense about it.
...
It was a short walk toward the circle and once we went through, a completely different scene unfolded before me.
An abandoned factory from who knows where. Using my ability, I took a look around. Found some locals and judging by the words I could read from their lips... this seemed to be somewhere in some middle-east country.
I could get a more accurate location if I had time, but I was carried toward another circle before I could begin working on it.
...
The next stop was extremely cold and like before, the members from before had already crossed the circle by the time I had surveyed my surroundings. This time it was easier to find the location given the sign in Russian letters and several locals talking the language confirmed it. There could've been a mistake in my deduction from only just that but the name of the city where this abandoned building came up in the locals' conversation.
"If you are cold, I could give you my coat." Kafka smiled at me when she noticed me turning my head around.
"I would rather have a hug, they say body warm is the best solution to fight cold in places like this one." I replied.
Smiling at that, Kafka carried me toward the next circle.
...
The process was repeated over a dozen of times until the last place, the other members were waiting and no other portal shaped like a circle was opened. It seemed like an abandoned textile mill. Before I began searching my surroundings, I heard someone talk.
"Hey, Kafka, was it really a good idea to bring him? We went in circles to see if that youkai was following us, but she did not make a move."
The youngest of the group asked.
"I am not sure what he is to her, but I wonder if he let you grab him so she could track us."
Mumbling that, the girl, rather short in height pulled a tablet of some sort and began opening app after app.
There was some advanced equipment camouflaged as sewing machines. Once the girl finished with the tablet, the machines gave a low beep and that seemed to satisfy the girl.
"Could I trouble you to take another look at him, Blackswan? I found nothing on him with my gadgets, but it is that Great Youkai we are talking about here..."
After that was said, one of the ladies from the Ara Ara squad came forward.
A tall woman with pale skin, and long light lavender thigh-length hair that fades into a darker shade by the end of it. Her outfit is a purple bodysuit with black accents and a halter strap neckline that is attached to her lace choker as well as the edge of the bust area of her cleavage, holding it in place. Her purple clothing has two windows at her sides and a large slit in the front, revealing a black leotard that has a window on her stomach, with all areas revealed covered by a thin black fabric. She wears long purple gloves that reach her biceps, black colored on her hand, and has a golden bracelet on her right wrist. On her legs, she wears black thigh-high-heeled boots with black belts tied around her thighs.
The smile on her face was warm and harmless, the woman came forward and extended a hand toward my cheek and gently caressed it.
"Excuse me for a bit, dear."
Her charm was extremely high and the cunning lady leaned in closer to me as our foreheads touched. Her sweet breath invaded my nose and I was certain any regular person would fall into a trance.
I strengthened my mental defenses, and as I expected, I felt her trying to influence my mind. I was not amused and pushed her away.
"I don't recommend that you try your tricks on him."
A somewhat familiar voice suddenly said.
Entering the area we were in, a tall white-haired woman leisurely made her way in. With her long flowing hair reaching her hips, she nodded at the others and walked toward me. Wearing a highly exposed outfit, the woman had a black tank top that did not even go down her waist and wrapped tightly her medium-sized bust, leaving her flat belly exposed along with a small piercing. Wearing hot pants perhaps one or two sizes smaller than her real size made her long legs stand out as her meaty thighs appeared to be ready to burst. Her legs had a pair of black knee socks that were a size smaller which added space between her hot pants and knee socks an allure that few would be able to ignore. Her gaze fixed on me hid a complicated glint, but clear goodwill was displayed on her golden pupils.
Smiling in amusement, the lady who had just almost peered into my mind backed off with her hands raised like she was a child who was caught doing something wrong, but in reality, the woman did not look apologetic at all.
"...it's been a long time, Carmilla." I was the first to speak.
"Boy, you are as attracted to trouble as always." The woman, Carmilla, sighed.
"...I noticed that you went to visit the grave." I mumbled.
"He might've been a mess of a person, but my father was not a bad guy." Carmilla said. "We might've had a complicated relationship, but my mother always spoke highly of him. She would've wanted me to do it."
"...she is not dead though." I smiled bitterly.
Snorting at that, Carmilla did not say anything more about it. Sour parent-and-child relationships are always difficult to deal with. Although I am glad I could find the old man's daughter and fulfill my promise at that time.
"I am slightly surprised that you know each other." Kafka said.
"Then you should at least make a surprised face, Kafka. You look like the mastermind behind a series of events that you planned."
The teen of the group retorted.
"It's ok." I said.
My words made everyone turn their gazes toward me.
"She is hot so she can get away with it." I smiled brightly.
My words earned me a lot of positive responses since Kafka smiled wider and the dream demon lady also giggled. The lady who had been focused on observing me since the beginning and who most likely was responsible for the circles that worked as portals also smiled pleasantly. The teen smirked sarcastically but she still seemed pleased.
"...I would be careful if I were you, Kafka. His words are sweet as honey and he never wastes a chance to flirt. If you give him liberties, he will take advantage of you." Carmilla said.
Smiling wryly at that, I could not offer a retort or the like since it was the truth.
"You sound like you speak from experience."
The teen offered a snarky comment.
Blushing at that, Carmilla remained silent since any answer might give away our past.
"So, why did you let yourself be captured?" Carmilla asked.
"...a hot woman, tied me up and dragged me to a mysterious warp-like circle. I know enough about smut to see where this is going." I smirked.
"Your real reason?" Carmilla inquired in a hapless tone.
"I was surprised and curious plus I was indecisive whether or not to ask her for her services." I replied.
"...we do not work as cosplayers and will not dress as maids." Carmilla made a clear boundary.
"Tsk." I could not help but click my tongue.
"You two must be close if you can joke like that."
The dream demon giggled.
"A joke?" "He never jokes about maids." I spoke at the same time as Carmilla.
Those words left the lady speechless.
"Whatever, if you are here... then it must be for a reason." Carmilla spoke. "Or maybe you are here to claim my body like you said you would?"
Smirking, Carmilla teased.
"...ok, I might've been too cocky and said too many things that the current me might've smacked my past self for saying, but could you stop rubbing salt in my wounds? You were flirty back then as well. I had to give you an appropriate response after you said you would come to steal my heart when I got older." I sighed.
"...I hate you." Carmilla grumbled.
Her figure was just a few inches from reaching me, but the dream demon lady and Kafka had stopped her from covering my mouth.
"...out with it, I know you did not come here to play." Carmilla begrudgingly said.
"I had Yukari help me find people with a particular set of skills. There is a job, no, several jobs I want them to take care of." I spoke.
"That's rather vague, but I believe that Great Youkai would never make a mistake and catch the wrong people." Carmilla muttered. "...you would indeed want us to 'find' you something."
"It is not an easy task and there are several risks." I shook my head. "I know that your group must be extremely skilled since Yukari chose you over other people... or maybe to mess up with me she chose a group full of women."
Inwardly sighing, I could not deny the possibility that she picked them over other people just because they were hot women and she hoped that I flirt the heck out of them.
"...is she really your ally?" Carmilla asked in concern.
Shedding an imaginary tear, I would like to say she is. However, she does want to eat me, she enjoys messing around with my surroundings and probably enjoys seeing me go through my daily shenanigans.
"I will help you." Carmilla said. "However, I cannot speak for the rest."
"You shouldn't ask without hearing my request." I mumbled.
"I agreed to help you, whether or not I can accomplish your task is another matter altogether." Carmilla snorted. "You need to convince the others first if you want their help."
Fair enough.
Taking a look at everyone in turn, they mostly smiled at me except the teen who stopped paying attention and pulled a game console to play. She looked the most uninterested, however, the others had not shown any reaction after Carmilla said she would help me so I doubted they smiled because they were planning to help me from the beginning.
"Rather than ask for help, I want to hire you. All of you." I said. "This is not a charity work. I plan to compensate you properly for your hard work."
"I see." Carmilla narrowed her eyes. "So this is that dangerous, very well. I take back my words, I will not 'help' you anymore. It would be foolish of me to insist on doing that while you continue to try to compensate me. It would just annoy me to no ends."
"...I don't want to take advantage of you of all people." I spoke. "Your colleagues also would not move without an incentive."
"You are correct on that one." Carmilla nodded. "As long as it is something that we between the group desire for, we will work together to 'acquire' it. However, while not a first exactly... you need to make it worth our while."
"Not gonna offer my body, ok?" I stated.
I heard the click of a tongue, but I was not sure who did it and I decided not to find out.
"One year's worth of my blood." I said.
"Are you sane?" Carmilla glared at me.
"Is it not enough? I can at most get two years' worth." I shook my hand. "I need this job done soon and I planned to pay upfront."
"That is not the issue." Carmilla still did not ease up her glare.
Pulling out a blood vial, I opened it and almost shoved it inside Carmilla's mouth. The smell soon reached her nostrils.
"If it is not to your liking, I have a few samples from gods, demi-gods, angels, fallen angels..." I said.
"No need, those are not as valuable as this." Carmilla wiped the saliva dripping from her mouth.
The vampire lady gave a dangerous air as she licked her lips and gave me a predatory gaze, yet Carmilla suppressed her instincts and took the viral along with the screw cap, sealing the vial but still putting it in her pocket.
"Are you crazy? What would you do if I lost control and attacked you?" Carmilla asked.
"...expecting a different type of attack from a certain kitsune, I have more than enough condoms to copulate for a year non-stop. Feel free to do your worst, I am ready for anything." I replied. "I have repealed the continuous attempts that Scathach Shishou had tried to pull on me. If you guys can do better than her, I might as well just lay on the bed and let you do your stuff."
I ignored the fact that not only Carmilla had reacted to my blood, but everyone in the room had done so. The reactions varied, but to think even after I had cast a spell to camouflage the aroma, they still reacted this strongly. Not to mention, they were not vampires either. They might've attacked me for real like Carmilla said if I released the spell.
"Isn't it fine to take his offer?" Kafka suddenly spoke. "He is an interesting one."
"I agree."
The dream demon spoke.
"...I was able to barely glimpse inside his mind, but there were quite a number of interesting things there."
Oh no, my collection of MaidxMaster will be exposed. I had made the characters like the girls and I would do this and that in the manga. A way to keep my desire to Nyan Nyan them in check will be seen by the world.
"Eh...? But I don't want to work if it is not amusing. You girls found something interesting but while I think he is a hottie, I don't see anything else."
The teen spoke and pointed at the other one, the one that took us here.
"Tenka, aren't you the same? You might be interested in his looks, but that is not enough to make you work for him."
The slightly older teen, called Tenka was well-endowed like most of the group's women. She had short blonde hair with the top being white in color. Her blue eyes had been on me most of the time we had met and every time I saw her, I felt like she was familiar, no, I guess it was more accurate to say her aura was. She was dressed mostly in black garments. A tube top covered her torso, a rather delicate garment that was on the verge of covering her belly if she lowered for a bit, but every time she straightened her back, the tube top would go up slightly. Below she wore a pair of black hot pants fit for easy movement. Her long legs were completely exposed in a show of confidence in her figure.
"Ginrou, don't you think that he is quite interesting already? That Great Youkai known for manipulating others and hardly showing herself in person went out of her way to personally catch Kafka... all for his sake." The blondie, Tenka, smiled. "He cannot just be a cute face."
The number of exposed navels here makes me wonder if I should call this Ara Ara squad or Navel squad.
Snorting at that the words said by her fellow squad member, the teen, Ginrou, did not immediately refute her. Instead, she put aside what she was doing and while standing in front of me after passing Kafka and the dream demon, she gave me an appraising glare. Nodding to herself, she walked clockwise around me, taking her time to observe me carefully. She repeated her actions a couple of times all while fiddling with a tablet she pulled. Once she had finished, she nodded to herself.
"This guy is dangerous." Ginrou stated. "I am not sure about you guys, but I have the feeling that he is the type you must never make enemies of."
"Oh? You are saying we should not hear him out because he is dangerous?" Kafka smiled widely.
"Not at all, I think it would be interesting and we should at least listen to him before agreeing." Ginrou said. "Although we should avoid making empty promises or trying to scam him, otherwise, we would be digging our grave for better or for worse."
Saying that, Ginrou showed the tablet's content to Kafka and the lady chuckled.
"I see, the Guardian of Urakyoto, Underworld's King Successor, Valkyries' Instructor... if we went out of our way to scam him, a lot of people would put their eyes on us." Kafka spoke in an amused tone. "How thrilling."
"Well, he has a lot of money and connections, so I can only wonder what would he need of us." Ginrou shrugged her shoulders. "Although if we judge him based on rumors, he is probably a lecherous guy who came here to ask for our bodies."
"Ara, is that true?" Kafka asked.
I was inclined to joke, but I decided to be honest. It was not because Carmilla seemed like she would smack my head if I played around. Why does she know how to deal with me? Did the old man tell her the secret technique passed down by my acquaintances?
"It is not completely a lie to say I did." I said. "I need skilled people, but what I am going to ask you is reckless and close to suicidal. I am not sure what kind of repercussions will fall onto you girls."
I sighed. I still think it would be better if I did this. From the standpoint of the future, I fit the will to take the blame for the consequences, even if I am blamed for it, nothing will change, but I need time to do this. If I had more time, another month, no, just two weeks and I could pull it off. If I ignore the dangers, I could actually do it.
"Heh, so you want our bodies then." Ginrou smirked.
"...I am asking you to leave your lives in my hands." I muttered. "Impossible tasks that could very well make you turn into the enemies of the world itself."
Enhancing my body using ki, I put enough strength to break off my bindings.
"At this point, you can still turn me down and be on your way. However, by the time you finish my job, you might find it hard to live a normal life." I said. "Miss Dream Demon, or rather, succubus. Your race already has a hard time thanks to people's ideal and twisted desires about you. Do you want to expose yourself? How about you, Tenka? It should be your mother's name since a half-devil coming from the Abbadon House would carry the name of the devil's household. Kafka seems to carry the blood of a god running through her veins so I think she can shrug off most people bothering her, but your lifestyle will have to change greatly. Ginrou, I am sure I don't have to say anything about you."
"...you are leaving me out." Carmilla said.
"I gave you the blood, once you took it, you are accepting my job. That means you are already mine." I shrugged my shoulders.
Nothing I could do about that.
"Did you know beforehand?" Ginrou suddenly asked.
"I just took an educated guess." I replied.
"Eh, for an educated guess, you sure were accurate." Ginrou smirked. "...is this job going to be difficult?"
"I cannot even give you a rating for how difficult it is." I honestly added. "A total challenge that will claim your life if-"
"Yeah, yeah." Ginrou waved her hand, cutting me off. "I am in. The payment, I will decide after the job."
"I am also in." Tenka spoke. "I don't want to miss an interesting show."
"Fufu, as you can see... we are pretty much ready to work for you. Myself included. The payment, I will send you the bill after everything is over. Instead of worrying about my well-being, you should worry about your ability to pay." Kafka said.
"I am not as heartless as them. I just want to take a look at what's inside your head and you can take it as you have already paid me. Oh, how rude of me, I have forgotten to introduce myself. You might call me, Blackswan, cutie." Blackswan, the dream demon, introduced herself.
"As you can see... by worrying about our well-being, you were actually enticing them to work for you." Carmilla sighed. "A true womanizer indeed."
"Very well, so be it. You are now mine." I muttered. "I hope you don't regret sealing your fate like this."
I cannot say anything else. I need them after all.
Pulling out a small notebook, I handed it to Carmilla. As she opened and glanced at the first page and read the numerous items I wanted them to find for me, her expression visibly changed and soon sent me a sharp look.
"Are you serious about this?" Carmilla asked.
"Yes." I nodded.
"Boy, what trouble did you get yourself into? What kind of monster are you trying to kill with all of these?" Carmilla handed the notebook to Kafka and the woman also widened her eyes when she began readying the content in it.
Soon, Tenka, Blackswan, and even Ginrou were readying what was inside of it.
"The worst kind. The most dangerous kind, and one that must be killed at all cost." I said. "These weapons will be used to kill the vessel for an Outer God. There will be no salvation for the vessel. No amount of healing, no amount of vitality. Even the most tenacious youkai or dragon would be unable to escape from this."
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Nyarlathotep00
Nyarlathotep00 Long time no see.
Been barely surviving and with no time to write. Work is taking a lot of my time.
I priorize my job since it is where I get the money to survive.
Some fan of mine, and an belly lover suggested that I put on a coffee or patreon, but I honestly don't feel like charging anyone for what I do. I just write as a hobby. Quality wise, I don't think I can charge for what I write either.
Not like I could not use the money giving my deteriorating health and the need for money to pay for exams and the like.
Yet, I think it is better I do not do it.
Finally, things are advancing toward the end of this volume. I took too long and I apologize for that. Barely had to write, my fingers do not listen to me and I would type letters in the wrong order, too much work, however, I continued to write and here you go the chapter.
There are a lot of new added characters. To be honest, I wanted to add them before, but I did not find the chance.