CHAPTER 8 - PART 7 & 8

Part 7

I didn't know how long I was in such a state.

I heard a 'clank' of something dropping from outside the dressing section and opened my eyes.

I thought it was just my imagination, but how could I have misheard that in such a quiet place.

Did the sign hung outside the bathing room drop?

But I should have hung it properly…

I thought it might be Aqua playing a prank and removing it. But it's already so late, she should be sleeping.

Never mind, no one would come in this late in the night.

My clothes were thrown into the laundry basket and the lantern was lit.

It should be obvious someone was in the bathing room. As I was thinking about that.

Even though it was inside the mansion, a sudden gust of unnatural wind blew out the lantern.

I felt the presence of someone else, similar to the spirits appearing in the mansion a few days ago…

But my detect enemy skill had no reaction.

… Never mind, even if the light was out, it's no big deal for me with my night vision ability.

The moonlight shining through the bathing room window was bright enough.

As I was thinking about that leisurely…

— I heard the door to the dressing section being opened.

The sound of the door opening made me jumped in panic.

Hey, the timing was too weird.

No, although I didn't know who it was, but that person was holding a lamp.

If that was the case, after seeing the clothes in the laundry basket, she should realize I am in here. Since she was holding a lamp, this meant it wasn't Aqua who could see in the dark. It was either Megumin or Darkness–

Suddenly, the lamp on that person's hand was out.

"Wahh! Why did the lamp suddenly…?"

The confused voice from the other side of the glass barrier belonged to Darkness.

"… No choice. Fortunately the moon is out tonight, so just like this…"

As she spoke, Darkness started undressing behind the glass barrier… Hey hey hey!

As I was about to sound out, I figured something out.

This was a setting designed by someone.

If not for this, there was no way this sort of thing would happen.

That's right, the timing was too good for me, no matter how great my luck was.

… No, hold on.

Before the situation evolved to this stage, I felt sleepy and closed my eyes.

I see now. This meant the current situation was…!

"Hmm… The moon tonight is really…"

Darkness use both hands to push her hair behind her head, and was mumbling to herself when she walked into the bathing room–

And in the dim room, she locked eyes with me who was in the bathtub.

"..." x2

Both of us were naked of course.

Under the faint light of the moon, Darkness' skin looked exceptionally white.

I had always thought her body was alluring, but looking at it right now, her figure was better than expected.

Because she trained her body, I thought she would be stouter, but her shape was really great…

No, maybe this was the service of the succubus, adjusting her figure to my taste.

Darkness stood there blankly without even covering herself. I lifted a hand and said 'Hi' while still soaking in the tub.

Seeing my reaction, Darkness opened her mouth, covered her chest and squatted down onto the floor.

"… Why… Why why…. Why why why….!"

"…? What's the matter Darkness? Come over here. Help me wash my back."

"?"

I got out of the bath tub and sat on a wooden stool with my back to Darkness. Maybe my actions were too unexpected, Darkness just sat there covering her chest and her mouth opening and closing.

What was with this Darkness.

This felt refreshing, not bad, as expected of the Darkness created by the succubus.

But why did Darkness appeared in my dreams?

Should I had written more details instead of 'a beautiful onee-san with great figure'?

I will remember to be more descriptive next time.

"You, you you, what are you saying! No, that, why, why are you so calm, and what do you mean by washing your back? Too many things are happening, it's overloading my brain…!"

Impressive, why was it so realistic!

Great work succubus! Superb!

"No, now is not the time to feel moved. I didn't add the setting of being unwilling, so hurry… No, I did wrote in the survey form for a beautiful onee-san with a great figure, and a little shy and unworldly. If that is the case, then she is acting just right."

"!"

After hearing me talked to myself, Darkness had a panicky expression.

This felt refreshing and nice, but I had to take the initiative to progress the story.

"Can't be helped. I know your setting is to be naive, but please wash my back now."

"! Could, could it be… under such circumstances, me helping you wash your back is common sense?"

Despite falling into panic, Darkness was still approaching my back hesitantly.

I looked towards Darkness without reservation, and she covered her body and squatted down.

"How refreshing and nice. But please hurry up. It's hard to restrain myself in all sorts of ways."

"You, you little…! You understand the situation? If Aqua and Megumin find out about this, what would they say…?!"

"If that happens, then let's all take a bath together."

"What's with you! What's wrong with you today!"

"Hey, you are being loud, you know what time it is? Didn't you know you would disturb the neighbors? There should be a limit to how much common sense you lack."

"Why are you bringing up common sense in such a situation! Am, am I the one who is wrong? Because I lacked knowledge about the world? Do I lack common sense? Am I weird?"

"In a way, you have always been weird. No, since this is a dream, being a little noisy is fine… Alright, I would be troubling you with this."

"Ugh… Why, why did it become like this… But, ordering me so haughtily, I can't resist, I really hate my fetish right now…"

Even though she was blushing and murmuring about something, Darkness still came to my back.

She had a towel in her hand, and knelt behind me, who was sitting on a stool.

Finally, Darkness followed my instructions and clumsily scrubbed my back hard.

"You, you little…! You are acting just like a middle-aged man today! Done, this should be enough. I can go now right…"

Darkness averted her eyes from my bare body and said timidly. She felt so innocent and pure, but I still told her firmly:

"What are you saying. Even with the settings adjusted, you still lack common sense. Don't you know what to do next? Without using the towel, you…"

"That's too weird too weird! No matter how ignorant I am, I know this is definitely not normal!"

— As Darkness was resisting me with her blushing face and teary eyes.

"Intruder–! Everyone come quick! There is an intruder in the mansion–!"

Aqua's voice sounded out from within the mansion.

Hey, I am just getting to the good part and someone interrupted me, I didn't ask for such a setting!

I grabbed the towel from Darkness' hands, tied it around my waist and dashed out.

I stole a glance at Darkness. She was still covering her chest with a red face, sitting on the floor while looking up at me with teary eyes.

Damn it, I really wanted to carry on, but that girl was even interrupting me in my dreams, I had to give her a piece of my mind!

When I reached the living room with a towel around me, I saw a succubus girl that was a bit younger than the succubus onee-san being pinned down by Aqua.

And Megumin was also there, holding her staff in a menacing manner.

"Kazuma, look! A villain was stopped by my barrier and couldn't move… wait, there's another villain!"

"Who are you calling a villain! … Wait, what is this? What is a succubus doing there?"

As I was retorting Aqua who was calling me a villain because I was clad in a towel, I realized the number of people making an appearance was too many, and there was something wrong.

Or rather, seeing a succubus here was too weird.

"Actually, I have set a powerful barrier in this mansion. I rushed over because there was an reaction in the barrier, and found this succubus that was trying to intrude trapped here! Succubus will attack men, so she must be here for Kazuma! But don't worry, I will perform an exorcism and dispose of her!"

Hearing Aqua say that, the succubus gasped.

This was wrong.

What was this, it's too weird, too strange.

Which meant the Darkness I saw in the bathing room was…!

No, now was not the time for that, I had to deal with the succubus before me!

Setting up a barrier I knew nothing about, Aqua likes to do unnecessary things like usual. She moved some distance away from the succubus and pointed at the succubus with her index finger.

"Alright then, accept your fate! I will use my super skill for devils… Kazuma, you are a guy, don't come too close! The succubus might control you…"

I silently stood before the succubus, took her hand and run towards the main door.

"Wait, wait! Kazuma, what are you doing? She is a devil, she is here to suck Kazuma's energy!"

Aqua shrieked at me.

Megumin who was slow to react to my actions raised her weapon, looking at the succubus with sharp eyes.

The succubus said to me in a volume only I could hear:

"So, sorry esteemed customer! Please leave me alone, I am just a monster! I didn't expect a barrier to be here, but getting to the side of the customers are what we are good at. Things turned out this way because I was too immature and failed to infiltrate. I can't let the customer lose face, so let them dispose of me as a random wandering succubus. Customer, you just need to pretend you know nothing at all!"

I turned to face Aqua and the others, hiding the succubus who was saying this behind me.

I then reached behind me and pushed the succubus towards the door.

I then lifted my fist, taking a fighting stance against Aqua and the rest.

"Customer?"

As the succubus was whispering.

"… Hey, what are you doing? I am a goddess after all, I can't let that devil go so easily. Kazuma, if you don't want to get beaten up, then get out of my way!"

Aqua frowned and said something that was no different from a delinquent.

"Aqua, Kazuma might be bewitched and controlled by the succubus! Since just now, Kazuma's has been acting weirdly! And he was saying something about dreams and settings, so that is probably it! Damn, that imposturous succubus, letting me taste such… humiliation…! I will kill her!"

Without drying her hair and wearing a shirt and tight skirt, Darkness rushed out without wearing shoes and shouted at the succubus.

Hearing her shout something so dangerous with teary eyes, I almost took a few steps backwards.

"Kazuma, are you insane? No matter how cute she is, she is still a devil, a kind of monster. Get a hold of yourself, that is an enemy we need to defeat."

Megumin looked like she had enough, saying this with a cold gaze and strong attitude.

Her gaze hurt me a little, but I won't back down.

I extend my hand behind me and waved at the succubus, gesturing for her to leave quickly.

When she saw me did that, Aqua took a step forward, lowered her body and took a stance.

"Looks like I have to fight seriously with Kazuma…! Alright, bring it on! I will give Kazuma a good beating and send that succubus to meet her maker!"

She then yelled and charged at me.

When the succubus saw this, she screamed softly.

"Cu, customer–!"

There were things I couldn't betray.

And that's the trust my friends had in me when they told me the secret.

There were things I had to protect.

And that was the kind succubus who was willing to satisfy us men when our pitiful lust got roused.

I clenched my fist.

"Bring it on–!"

I yelled hot bloodedly with a volume that shook the entire mansion.

Part 8

"..."

I could feel the silent stare on my back as I squatted in a corner of the courtyard, working quietly.

I was cleaning the tombstone, a job I had been doing everyday recently.

"Nah, say something. Or rather, you were also at fault for going along in the heat of the moment."

"…!..."

Darkness who was behind me seemed to have something to say, but swallowed her words.

Darkness had been standing with her arm crossed behind me silently, making it hard for me to work.

That night, I couldn't win against the three of them and was beaten up, but I succeeded in allowing the succubus girl to escape.

Darkness thought I was under the succubus' control, which gave me a way out of that situation.

"… You really don't remember what happened last night? You were under the control of the succubus, so you forgot everything, right?"

Darkness finally spoke, and wanted to confirm this again.

"Yes, regrettably, I can't remember anything. I only remember having a nice dream."

Since she gave me a way out, I naturally took it.

That was the best for the both of us.

"I, I see. That's great… Erm, it can't be help. It was just an accident, so I should forget about it too… But, your attitude was so firm back then, it was a bit scary but not bad too. But saying strange things to the naive me is wrong."

"I should say, you are not a real gullible daughter from a wealthy family, knowing more about the world is a good thing. No matter how you look at it, I didn't do anything wrong this time. I lit the lantern and hung the 'in use' sign. If not for the prank pulled by someone…"

"… Wait, you remembered what happened last night don't you? Didn't you act that way because you were under the control of the succubus?"

Darkness grabbed my shoulders from behind and shook violently, but I ignored her, cleaning the tombstone quietly.

I didn't know who pulled that prank, but I was a little thankful for it too.

In the end, we were set for our life in the near future.

With food shelter and clothing settled, the other problems would be resolved in one way or another.

After coming to this world for so long, I finally got a place to live in.

I should be able to sleep well tonight.

That's right, if not for that broadcast that shook the entire town and broke the mood–

"Destroyer alert! Destroyer alert! The moving fortress destroyer is approaching this town! All adventurers please report to the adventurers guild with all your gear on! The citizens in town, please evacuate immediately–!"