Chapter 3: Who Knows What the Flag Is
To sum up her character in one word, it would be "self-centered" or "arrogant." Despite her innocent appearance, she's moody, selfish, confident, sharp-tongued, and self-righteous... and above all, she possesses top-tier talent even among the Onitsuki Clan, who can go toe-to-toe with monsters. As a result, she doesn't bother with effort, yet her stats are absurdly high. Seriously, she barely studies yin-yang techniques or curses and just relies on brute strength, yet she can one-shot conceptual-level kyōyō. It makes no sense. Fans affectionately call her the Pink Power Gorilla Princess.
Well, because she's such a bundle of talent, she has little interest in ordinary, hardworking people and doesn't even bother remembering the names of those who aren't exceptional or special. In the game, despite being born into a wealthy farming family, she becomes intrigued by the protagonist, who awakens to a unique and powerful ability. Through repeated interactions (and putting up with her selfishness), overcoming crises, learning about her past, and helping her overcome her trauma, you can raise her heroine flag. In the adult version's bed scenes, she turns into a carnivorous beast and drains you dry, making her a favorite among masochists. Cowgirl position! And her ample assets! They shake like crazy!
...Well, her backstory is heavy, and she quickly turns yandere.
In the Onitsuki Clan, where power struggles are constant and messy, she's a particularly troublesome figure. Her father, the clan head, married her mother for political reasons, but before that, he eloped with a tenant farmer's daughter. By the way, Big Sis is the child from that elopement, making her Aoi's half-sister. Big Sis's slender figure is likely due to poor nutrition during her childhood (brilliant deduction).
Anyway, because of this, Aoi was somewhat neglected by her father. And like most exorcist families, she possesses immense spiritual energy... but, well, her father wouldn't just let someone who can kill high-level yōkai with brute strength without even training roam free, right?
Officially, it was field training, but the real intention was undoubtedly to get her killed. He lied, claiming there were only weak shōyō in the area, and sent her into a yōkai den with only a few attendants.
Given that this world is a depressing game filled with grotesque content, you can probably guess what happened next.
First, her guards and attendants were devoured by the monsters. Despite being skilled fighters, they were outnumbered—no, outclassed, since there were multiple daiyō present.
At just ten years old, she held out the longest. Though a child, she was a thoroughbred of the exorcist lineage, bred from generations of strong individuals. She tore through the yōkai, throwing them aside again and again, and somehow managed to escape the den.
...Well, just as she escaped the den, she was nearly killed by assassins sent by her father, only to be saved when the surviving yōkai attacked and devoured the assassins. And then came the adult scene. A loli having her virginity taken by ugly monsters, covered in white fluids and blood... pretty intense, huh?
But, being one of the clan's most talented members, she endured three days and nights of that hellish ordeal, found an opening, and escaped the yōkai. She was eventually rescued by a faction within the clan that supported her, narrowly surviving. However, that experience caused her to lose her position as the top candidate for the next clan head. In fact, it seems her father's worst-case scenario was exactly that. It's not like he had some virginity complex, but having the next head of a prestigious exorcist family be a woman defiled by yōkai would be a terrible look.
"Oh? Why are you staring at me? Could it be you're captivated by my beauty? You're like a rabbit in heat, so shameless."
"Such an egotist."
While kneeling, I recalled her character from the original game. The little girl in front of me, sitting on a raised platform with a curtain, was engrossed in a scroll but suddenly looked up and teased me with a smile. Wait, I'm wearing a mask—how does she know I was staring? Well, I guess these exorcists, who can fight monsters one-on-one, can probably sense someone's gaze from a kilometer away.
Having finished my mission and reported to the elders, I had planned to grab some food and then collapse into bed for a full day's sleep. But instead, I found myself in an extravagant Japanese-style room where lower-ranked operatives like me weren't even allowed to enter.
The room was at least 20 tatami mats in size. In the center was the platform where the young lady sat, behind her a gold-leafed landscape screen, and beside her an armrest with an open scroll. Nearby was a golden water vessel, and behind her, a censer and a koto. The censer was in use, filling the room with a refreshing scent as gray smoke wafted through the air. The room was also filled with various furnishings... seemingly placed haphazardly, but in reality, they formed a powerful barrier and curse-repelling array.
"...My apologies, that was not my intention. I was merely pondering the reason for being summoned here. If I have caused any offense, I sincerely apologize."
"You're always apologizing. Must be exhausting, huh?"
I responded mechanically, without emotion, but carefully to avoid being rude. She's a bit less volatile than in the original game, but she's still a walking landmine, so this is the right approach. I'm just a mob combatant, after all. The protagonist, who's far more interesting, is waiting for her, so please forget about a nobody like me.
(...Please, just don't talk to me. I'm so stressed I feel like I'm going to get a stomachache. Or, depending on the route, she might literally put a hole in my stomach.)
I felt nauseous remembering one of the players' trauma scenes—Aoi's "dig in" moment. Seriously, eating the organs of someone you love? It's such a cliché, but the illustrator went all out. Why put so much effort into depicting the gore?
The reason she remembers my face and name is because of a situation I couldn't avoid.
During the aforementioned trap set by her father, I was among the lower-ranked operatives assigned as her guards. Honestly, I knew it was bad news. Going along meant becoming monster food. I tried to fake illness or something to get out of it, but failed. Escape? Impossible due to the curse. So, I had no choice but to accompany the walking landmine.
Knowing the original game, I was able to prepare some tools in advance, stay on high alert, and remember the main story beats, which helped me survive. While my comrades were being devoured, I managed to deceive the monsters and hide in the forest.
But from there, things got complicated. Lower-ranked operatives like me can't completely escape the clan. If we run, we'll either be caught and punished as an example, used as experimental material, or blamed for the gorilla princess's death.
In that desperate state, I racked my brain for a solution. Just as the assassins paralyzed Aoi with nerve poison and were about to finish her off, only to be attacked by monsters and sent straight to their stomachs... I took a gamble.
Right before the monsters could start their "party," I used smoke bombs, flashbangs, and stink bombs to disorient them, then carried the little girl on my back and fled at full speed. Fight? No way, I'd be instantly killed. In fact, I was seriously injured just during the rescue.
...I didn't do this out of kindness, morality, or a desire to save an original character. I just knew that if things continued as they were, I had no future. So, I took the risk to save her, believing it would help me survive the immediate situation and improve my standing afterward. Surely the faction supporting her as the next clan head would prevent me from being silenced... or so I hoped.
Carrying the paralyzed brat on my back, I spent three days and nights evading the pursuing monsters. In the end, once the poison wore off, the gorilla princess one-shot the remaining monsters, and we were saved. Well, I was pretty much in tatters, but still.
That was three years ago. Since then, even though I'm just an ordinary, talentless guy, that experience seems to have left some impression on me. Occasionally, I'm called to serve as a guard at mansions or in the field, and while keeping the masters company, I'm sometimes whimsically gifted with magical tools or taught secret techniques—though they're really just the most basic of basics—that even the lower servants aren't privy to.
…I messed up. I did want protection from the factions, but I didn't expect to attract this much attention from the gorilla princess. Look, there are plenty of other people who seem more interesting than me. Why don't you go bother them? Specifically, you'll probably encounter someone more suitable in about three years.
"How cold of you. You could at least give me a flustered response. Or am I really that unattractive to the opposite sex?"
"He's mine, you know?"
The loli-gorilla princess lets out a deeply dissatisfied sigh at my indifferent reply. As she sighs, the swell of her chest subtly rises and falls, visible even through her thick kimono. Hmm, is that a C-cup, maybe?
"That's not the case at all. People say your beauty is divine, like a celestial maiden, and your radiance can be seen from a thousand miles away. There's no way you could be considered unattractive."
"You've always been good at flattery."
I'm basically repeating the rumors I've heard—or rather, the reputation she has in the game—word for word. Ignoring her would only risk incurring her displeasure, so I have no choice. It's not like this kind of talk is going to raise the affection level of this tsundere landmine of a heroine anyway.
"Oh? So you were complimenting me. How sweet. Though it would've been more meaningful if it were your personal opinion rather than hearsay."
"Fake sweet."
As expected, she responds with a slightly annoyed tone—though I know from my knowledge of the original story that it's just an act, a playful tease. I reply in the emotionless voice befitting a lowly servant.
"If I may respond to your question, my personal opinion pales in comparison to the broader consensus. Rumors and nicknames, while vulgar, do serve as a certain measure of one's reputation."
It's a perfectly crafted generalization. Honestly, with the landmine heroines in this story, whether my words are taken positively or negatively, there's no telling how they'll interpret them. I'd rather keep things as neutral as possible. Ideally, I wouldn't even have to engage in this conversation.
"How dull. …You're always like this."
"You're always like this."
The beautiful girl rests her elbow on the armrest, propping her cheek on her hand as she gazes at me. Her probing eyes might even be using some kind of ocular technique. I quickly avert my gaze from behind my mask, making sure my movements look natural to avoid falling into her trap.
The masks given to us lower servants are enchanted to counter such techniques, but I have no idea how effective they are against the monster in front of me. Even in the game, despite only being able to use the most basic spells, her attacks were more powerful than some characters' ultimate skills. She really is a power-type gorilla.
"…Oh, right. I've been meaning to ask, what happened to the charm I gave you the other day? I explicitly told you to keep it on you at all times."
"Hehehe, it seems to have burned up."
After a brief silence, she brings it up in a tone that sounds both casual and suspiciously fake.
(It's finally come to this… Damn it, why couldn't I find it?)
I didn't think it had flown that far, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find it. Time kept slipping away, and I could only return empty-handed, growing more anxious by the minute.
Losing a charm given by the daughter of a prestigious exorcist family, even if it's just to a lowly servant like me, is no small matter. In a world filled with delusional, crazy women, it's downright terrifying.
(Wait, calm down, calm down… It's fine. The flag hasn't been triggered yet. I'm safe, safe…)
It's not like I want to get involved romantically, and I haven't triggered any yandere events that could lead to a bad ending like in the game. She's just a little fond of me, that's all, that's all…
"I deeply apologize… The task was simply beyond my capabilities… I searched after the battle but was unable to find it."
I don't mention being saved by Kizuki Hina. In the original story, getting close to her after raising the gorilla princess's affection led straight to a bad ending. Getting limbs severed and being imprisoned? That's just insane.
"Hmm, is that so? How rude of you. To lose something I personally gave you… Do you want to be punished that badly?"
"He's mine, you know?"
The gorilla princess smiles sadistically. Tch, let her talk…!! Well, if I snap back, I'll be instantly killed. Ugh, the spiritual energy radiating from her body is overwhelming. I feel like I'm going to throw up from spiritual intoxication.
"…Your anger is justified, but I beg for your forgiveness. As a mere servant, it was beyond my abilities. I will strive to improve, so please, show me mercy…"
I immediately resort to groveling, begging for forgiveness with all my might. This is an effective strategy against the gorilla princess, who loses interest in those she finds unremarkable. Just get disappointed and kick me out like a cockroach, please. Seriously, her spiritual energy is terrifying.
"…How pathetic. Trembling like a cowardly sheep. How pitiful."
"You're the coward here, aren't you?"
Yeah, that's right. So just tell me to get lost already, gorilla.
"…Sigh, fine. I'll let it slide this time. In exchange, you'll be assigned to guard this room again for a while. I'll teach you a locating spell in your spare time. Consider it an honor."
"You're scared of being disliked, aren't you?"
With a deeply resigned sigh, the landmine princess speaks to me in a condescending tone, as if bestowing charity upon a beggar.
…Haha, I feel like throwing up.
With a somewhat weary motion, he slid open the shoji screen and exited the room. After he left, the girl curled her lips into a faint smile and muttered to herself.
"That's right, it's not your fault. I'll let it slide… 'just this once.'"
Then, with a somewhat daring smile, she turned her gaze to a corner of the room.
"Peeking is vulgar, isn't it?"
In the next instant, she flicked her index finger lightly. A burst of flames erupted with a whoosh.
Squeak squeak squeak…!!
A black rat let out a shrill, piercing scream as it rolled around on the floor. Though the rat was now a ball of fire, the floor showed no signs of scorching—likely due to some kind of spell she had cast.
With a cold smile, the girl watched as the charred rat breathed its last. Then, she flicked her finger again. A black cat, which had somehow appeared at her feet, let out a big, sleepy yawn before padding over to the rat's corpse and picking it up in its mouth.
"You know what to do, right?"
As soon as the girl spoke, the cat vanished.
"Now then… Didn't you understand the warning? Should I burn you next?"
Though "that one" shared a similar goal in some ways, she had no intention of getting cozy with it. And to think it would dare interrupt her precious alone time with him… How foolish.
'...…'
The moment she directed her killing intent toward it, the demonic presence lurking in the ceiling quietly retreated. The girl could sense it clearly.
"…To think they could slip through the barrier so easily. What a bother. It seems I'll have to study harder."
She let out a small sigh—she had lost count of how many times she had sighed today. Honestly, if her goal were simply to kill everyone, there would be no need to learn such trivial spells. But things weren't that simple. That's why she had to master even these roundabout, inefficient techniques and refine them.
"What a hassle. But there's no other way. If I don't, I won't be able to watch over him properly."
"Even though you were the one being protected."
The charm she had "bestowed" upon him was embedded with a meticulously disguised mental manipulation and surveillance spell—one far too subtle for a mere servant to detect. That said, she wasn't like the other "vulgar" women who clung to him. She would never resort to something as crude as brainwashing. No, the mental manipulation was merely to keep his spirits up, to prevent him from succumbing to despair or giving up in the face of hardship. The surveillance spell, too, was only meant to watch over his struggles. Watching him around the clock? That was the behavior of a pervert, and she prided herself on not being that kind of deranged woman.
…It was a secret that she had used the mental manipulation to make him dodge a direct attack when that mutt had swung its tail at him.
"That was really close. To think he'd struggle against such a weakling… Well, I suppose it can't be helped, given he's just a servant."
The difference in talent and upbringing between someone from an exorcist family and a disposable servant was like night and day. In fact, he had done remarkably well, all things considered. Of course, that didn't change the fact that it wasn't enough.
"That's why… that's why you need to grow stronger, quickly. I'll make sure to nurture you properly."
She was a genius, a prodigy. Even without effort or the use of spells, her enhanced physical abilities alone could take down multiple kyouyou—monstrous demons. To her, everyone around her was ordinary and boring.
But… he was different. That day, when she had been on the brink of despair, even prepared for death, she had seen it. In a situation that would have made even a first-rate exorcist falter, a mere servant had saved her. Beaten and bloodied, in a situation where anyone else would have abandoned a useless girl like her, he had pressed on without giving up. In that moment, she had felt relief, admiration, and an overwhelming desire to cling to him.
…Well, his actual abilities were still lacking, of course.
"Yes, his strength is still far from sufficient. It's nowhere near enough. He's not even close to being second-rate, let alone special."
…That's why I'll nurture him.
"I'll make him into someone so extraordinary, so utterly captivating, that I'll want to throw everything away for him…"
Giggle giggle… A laugh escaped her lips—adorable, like the chirping of a bird, yet somehow bewitching and eerie at the same time.
"That's why I deliberately left him to handle this mission on his own. It wasn't reckless. I calculated his strength and the true power of the monster, knowing that if he fought with everything he had, he could just barely win. I'm sure that after this battle, he'll have climbed to even greater heights."
…Of course, that meddlesome woman had to interfere.
"Honestly, she's so overprotective. There are more important things to worry about, aren't there?"
Well, no matter. Her sister, that woman—none of it mattered anymore. What mattered was what came next. Teaching him a locating spell? As if that's all there was to it.
"Come now, I'll teach you with my own hands, so do your best. Next time, you'll face an even higher wall, won't you?"
And then, overcome it. Make a name for yourself. Become a hero.
"The person I love can't just remain an ordinary, vulgar nobody."
"He's mine."
As she declared this, her expression was that of a lovestruck maiden, yet her eyes were like a bottomless abyss—dark, cloudy, and unfathomable.
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