Chapter 70
Epilogue (3)
We moved from the café to Takanashi-san's house, stopping at a convenience store along the way.
We gathered in the living room and arranged juice and snacks on the table.
"Ahem. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for fighting together to save my family."
"Yay! That's too stiff, Rosson! Let's liven things up, Rosson!"
"Quiet! You were the one who said, 'Since we're doing this anyway, why don't you lead the toast?'"
I see. Rosso-san had suddenly stood up and raised a cup of juice, so I had wondered what was going on. It seemed to have been Riko-senpai's doing.
"Ahem! Anyway... Well, you know. Thank you, everyone."
Her cheeks faintly flushed, she murmured her words of gratitude.
The way she wandered her gaze around bashfully made her look strangely younger than the rest of us.
"She's so cute. Rosson's adorable."
"Yes. Rosso-san is exceptionally endearing at the moment."
"Ahh! Enough! Cheers! Come on, cheers!"
"Yaaay! Cheers!"
"Cheers."
"Oh, cheers."
I was slightly late, but I lightly raised my cup as well.
Across from me, Riko-senpai downed her mug of barley tea in one go.
"Ahhh! Nothing beats the first drink!"
"It's not beer. It's not beer."
"What do you mean!? Are you saying you won't drink my liquor!?"
"You can't drink it, can you? In fact, you're not drinking anything either. That's a plastic bottle of barley tea you're holding, you know."
"Barley tea—open parentheses, euphemism, close parentheses."
"Seriously, stop."
"Okaaay."
Don't make it sound so suggestive for no reason.
Actually, did she buy barley tea solely for that joke? As she poured cola into her empty cup, Riko-senpai leaned toward Rosso-san, who was sitting beside her.
"Heyyy, Rossoooon."
"Ugh, gross."
"I worked really hard in that last battle, so I want a reward~"
"Riko-senpai. This is bad. I mean seriously, it's at disaster-by-accident levels. All of it."
"Quiet, you outsider! Did you just say my coquettish voice is disgusting, you bastard!?"
"Yes!"
"A perfect hundred for that energetic answer! You'd better remember this later!"
Sorry. It was true.
"Hmph. Leaving aside the goosebumps caused by Inoue Riko's behavior..."
"Wait, am I really treated that way? Is my coquettish voice that bad?"
"It is also true that I have incurred a considerable debt."
"Don't just move on! You're kidding, right? You're joking, aren't you? Miyu-chi, say something!"
Takanashi-san had been rapidly crunching her way through stick-shaped chocolate snacks, but now she turned toward Riko-senpai with a stern expression.
"No. I did not think Riko-senpai's behavior was disgusting."
"Right!? Right!? I knew I could trust you, Miyu-chi!"
"However, it caused unexplained chills and nausea. And feelings of revulsion."
"I'm starting to think it would hurt less if she just flat-out called me disgusting."
Hang in there, Riko-senpai. But never use that weird voice again, you fake gyaru.
"So, what am I supposed to do? Since you went to the trouble of putting on that little performance, you must have a request, right?"
"Yeah. I almost asked you to comfort me, but I'll return to my original intention and make the request I had in mind, Rosson. You should be grateful for my iron will."
"I will do most things, but... please avoid anything illegal or any request that is impossible for me."
"Don't worry. It's a really easy request."
Riko-senpai sat back down and smiled cynically.
"Call us by our first names. Since we're all here, let's just call one another by our names normally."
"N-nooo..."
"Wait, me too?"
"Of course, Otaku-kun. If you and Miyu-chi keep calling each other by your surnames, it'll put a crack in our team spirit."
"Well... no... hmm."
She had a point. She did, but...
I glanced at Takanashi-san, sitting beside me.
People say you get tired of a beauty after three days, but I could never understand it. I had been around her as a friend and teammate for over a month, yet my heart still pounded whenever I looked straight at her face.
I had never imagined that a day would come when I would become involved with such a beautiful girl.
"All right. In that case, I will call everyone by their first names as well."
Takanashi-san nodded easily and turned toward me.
"Kota-san. I will address you that way from now on."
"...Yes."
It was embarrassing even though she had only called my name. I nodded faintly while quietly looking away.
When I turned forward again, Riko-senpai was grinning at me. I wanted to punch that smile.
"Come on, Otaku-kuuun. What are you going to call Miyu-chi? Tell meee, pleeease?"
"Damn this fake gyaru...!"
"Hahahaha! That won't work on me! A loser barking like that hurts about as much as stubbing your little toe on the corner of a chest of drawers!"
That hurts like hell. For some people, it's enough to make them curse the entire world.
After taking a small breath, I turned toward Takanashi-san, who was staring at me intently.
This sort of thing made me nervous because I was overthinking it. Once I actually did it, it would probably be no big deal... Right? Probably. Most likely. Maybe.
"Um... M-Miyu...san."
"Yes, Kota-san."
"...!"
Oh no, my ears are burning.
I couldn't keep meeting Takanashi-sa... Miyu-san's direct gaze, so I immediately turned my face forward.
Then I shoved snacks into my mouth without thinking.
"Ah, young people are so innocent."
"If I recall correctly, you are the same age as those two..."
"Why are you talking like this has nothing to do with you, Rosson? Now it's your turn...!"
Why did she say it like some battle-crazed warrior race?
"Damn it... I-I suppose it cannot be helped. In that case, I shall steel myself as well...!"
"I didn't expect you to take it that seriously. You're only calling us by our names. I wasn't asking for anything so difficult—or rather, it was half a joke."
Riko-senpai, I understand what you're saying, but formally calling someone's name in a situation like this is honestly embarrassing.
Rosso-san took a deep breath, then looked toward Riko-senpai.
"...Riko."
"Yeah!"
Then she looked toward Miyu-san.
"Miyu."
"Yes."
Finally, she turned her face toward me.
I braced myself for it, but for some reason she only worked her lips soundlessly and said nothing.
As I tilted my head, wondering what was wrong, Rosso-san's eyes suddenly flew wide open.
"Young oni!"
"Who are you calling that?"
Even for a bizarre name, I feel like she could have come up with something better.
"Rosson. What is wrong with you? Seriously."
"I-it is nothing! I have my reasons! Yes, that is it. The opposite sex is... embarrassing!"
"But Rosso-san, you called me by my name normally the other day."
"That was a slip of the tongue! It simply came out in the moment! It was an accident, an accident!"
"Rosso-san. I believe this is necessary to strengthen the party's cohesion."
"No! I do not want to be the cause of a party breakup!"
Why were we suddenly talking about the party falling apart? Besides, we're an adventurer party, not a club.
Everyone except the person who had said it was utterly baffled. Perhaps noticing our bewildered looks, Rosso-san clenched her fist.
"Well, you see... I might end up cutting the young oni out of embarrassment..."
"The breakup is physical!?"
"Besides, this fellow's very existence is indecent."
"That's unreasonable! Go look up the meaning of indecent in the dictionary, please!"
"I understand."
"Don't understand her, Takanashi-san!"
"I am Miyu."
"...M-Miyu-shan...!"
"Ah, you lisped."
"Quiet, you fake gyaru!"
"You called me that again!"
Riko-senpai kicked my shin under the table. It hurt more than you'd expect.
While we were making a commotion like that, Miyu-san clapped her hands.
"As for whether Rosso-san will call Kota-san by his name, we can leave that for another day."
"Wait, I'm being made to try again later?"
"I think it is time to move on to the entertainment I prepared."
"Oh, that."
"All right! What are we doing? What are we playing? 'Matsuo Race'? 'Great Melee: Demon Hunting on Mount Oe'? 'Matsuo's Sky Ox Cart'? Or Otaku-kun's one-man game of Twister?"
"Isn't the last one just straightforward bullying?"
"I am extremely interested in the last one, but it is none of those."
"Don't get interested in something like that! I'm not doing it, okay? I absolutely am not doing it!"
"It is the punishment game we decided on during Matsuo Race."
"Ughhh."
Rosso-san took a sip of tomato juice and choked slightly.
"Oh, right, that was a thing. Fine, let's do it, let's do it."
"R-Riko. You seem awfully enthusiastic. You were making such a fuss about a maiden's dignity."
"No. It's just that, after negotiating, I don't have to do the loach-scooping dance."
"What!? That's not fair! At my age, dressing as a student is practically 'death'!"
"Hahahaha! You're too naive, Rosson! Battles are decided by preparation beforehand!"
"Y-you despicable creature! I was foolish to trust a gyaru...!"
"Sooorry! I'm going to distract everyone with a super-cute outfit produced by Miyu-chi☆"
"Damn ittttttt! ...Hm? Miyu produced it?"
"I have prepared a safe."
"What?"
At some point, Takanashi-san had left her seat. She returned to the living room with a formidable safe loaded onto a cart.
What is that, an object more distant from the word entertainment than anything imaginable? What is this, a death game run by dark billionaires?
"Please place the clothes you remove inside this for the time being. Of course, they will be returned to you when you leave, so there is no need to worry."
"M-Miyu-chi, isn't this getting a little too serious?"
"I intend to give them to Kota-san eventually."
"I see. Understood."
"Wait."
No, really, wait.
Miyu-san still hadn't given up on making me wear a female cosplay outfit.
Naturally, I was a man, and I had a solid build. I couldn't imagine anyone getting any pleasure from looking at me like that.
"This time, we will wear the outfits specified by Kota-san. I am sorry, but please wait in the hallway for a little while, Kota-san."
"Oh, okay. Got it."
"Fine, then. I'll humor Otaku-kun's tastes."
"You chose your own outfit, though. What happened to the loach-scooping dance...?"
"That guy's dead. He was a good man."
"The loach-scooping outfit had a personality...?"
"D-don't peek, young oni! I absolutely mean it!"
"Rosson, you're practically inviting him."
"I am not!"
"Yeah, yeah."
I obediently went out into the hallway, moved a little way from the door, and fiddled with my smartphone to pass the time.
As I browsed the online news for no particular reason, I saw that the representative of 'Valhalla' had held a press conference, and it was attracting a great deal of attention.
Regarding the Zmeu spiritual disaster, the representative had apparently criticized the fact that monsters had used guns because of 'Calamity,' and stated that only ability users could deal with crimes committed by ability users.
'Human rights for ability users. Duties and rights for an equal society.'
That was apparently their slogan.
I thought what they were saying was correct. But the more closely I examined the representative's statements, the more something bothered me.
I supposed it was unavoidable for an ability-user-centered organization, but the group's ideology was clearly biased toward ability users. Conversely, it seemed to look down on non-ability users in an indirect way.
I thought it was important to assert one's rights, but just as things were beginning to look as though the divide between ability users and non-ability users might finally be bridged, I wished they wouldn't shout things like that from the rooftops.
As expected, some ability users began voicing their support for 'Valhalla,' while some non-ability users, in turn, began calling them dangerous.
With the monster problem on our hands, couldn't these people get along for now?
"Kota-san. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh, okay. I'm coming."
As I was thinking that, the living room door opened slightly.
I put away my smartphone and approached the room, where I could hear Riko-senpai and the others talking.
"W-wait a second. Seriously? Are we really going to show Otaku-kun these outfits? Isn't this dangerous? I mean, as a maiden."
"Steel yourself, Riko. I feel as though my face is on fire too, but after Miyu asked me so earnestly, I cannot refuse...!"
"Ugh...! Grrr...!"
...Wait, what are they actually wearing?
I had requested a shrine maiden outfit, a school uniform, and the loach-scooping costume. I had asked for them thinking I deserved at least that much, but none of them should have been particularly extreme.
With anticipation and anxiety in my heart, I quietly opened the door.
"Excuse me..."
The words died in my throat.
Beyond the open door was the heavenly realm—Valhalla.
"I should have just stuck disposable chopsticks up my nose...!"
Riko-senpai was bright red all the way to the tips of her long ears, desperately holding down the edge of her skirt.
She was dressed as a cheerleader. However, the length of the outfit was clearly wrong.
Her brown shoulders and thighs were exposed, naturally. There was a heart-shaped opening at her chest, revealing her cleavage. On top of that, the undersides of her breasts peeked out beneath the hem.
She had a magnificent waist, a lovely navel, and beneath it, an ultrashort skirt that looked as though it would reveal her underwear with the slightest movement.
I had heard that cheerleaders normally wore bloomers beneath their skirts, but judging from Riko-senpai's reaction, she probably wasn't wearing any...
"You knew what you were getting into when you heard Miyu's ambitions. Riko, that was your choice."
Rosso-san said this with a resolute expression, but where had her normally deathly pale complexion gone? Her face was astonishingly red.
What she wore was certainly a school uniform like those worn by high school girls.
A white button-up shirt, a loosely tied pink ribbon, and, despite the approaching change of seasons, a light-brown cardigan.
It was a warm outfit, but the soft fabric also seemed to emphasize the curves of her enormous breasts.
Her lower half, by contrast, was lightly dressed—or rather, this skirt was also absurdly short.
Her navy skirt with a white plaid pattern exposed her milk-white thighs without the slightest restraint. For some reason, she wore loose socks from halfway down her calves.
It was one of those situations where, as apologetic as I felt, the only way to describe her was as a gyaru from an erotic book.
"Thank you both for your cooperation."
Miyu-san said this matter-of-factly. Her outfit was, in a sense, the most dangerous of all.
If she dared call what she was wearing a shrine maiden outfit, shrines across Japan would undoubtedly run up and punch her.
White sleeves flared softly, reaching her wrists, and red hakama modified to reach only to her knees.
And the bodice was unmistakably a white slingshot swimsuit.
Yes. Let us set aside for the moment the fact that her slender white shoulders and upper arms were exposed, as well as the fact that the openings on both sides of the hakama revealed the tops of her thighs. Under normal circumstances, that would have been impossible to ignore, but I had to ignore it now.
Her breasts were absolutely enormous...!
They had enough mass to deserve an accompanying sound effect. The other two were more than ample themselves, yet Miyu-san's presence was still overwhelming.
Like when she wore the Demon Armor, her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her beautiful face was expressionless with an almost solemn dignity.
That only made the destructive force below her neck even greater.
White fabric as pure as her skin clung to her soft, enormous breasts. There was so little of it that if it shifted even slightly to the side, the peaks would be exposed.
Her deep, lengthy cleavage was completely visible from top to bottom. The rounded sides of her breasts were exposed as well, as though that were perfectly natural.
Her beautiful waist, the faint lines of her abdominal muscles, and her spotless, small vertical navel were all visible. The lower part of the swimsuit angled sharply toward the hakama, declaring that the situation beneath it was beyond dangerous.
If she claimed to be a shrine maiden dressed like that, it could only look like the moment before some obscene ritual.
As I stood there with my thoughts frozen by the three women's alluring forms, Takanashi-san gave me a thumbs-up without changing her expression. That simple movement made her enormous breasts bounce. For an instant, it looked as though the peaks of sacred mountains might appear.
"All the outfits we wore are things that you wore in the future... in a parallel world. We will have another match later, Kota-san."
"Takanashi-san."
"Yes?"
I quietly extended my right hand.
Leaning forward, I backed away using only my ankles.
"Why are you calling me by my surname?"
"I... I am going to leave the room for now, so please all change back into your original clothes while I'm gone."
"Already? If I win against Kota-san, I intend to make you wear something like this for at least two hours."
"Um, anything is fine. Just give me some time. Please, give me some time."
I should have looked down or closed my eyes. But I couldn't.
Riko-senpai trembled with embarrassment as she tugged on her skirt, emphasizing her cleavage.
Rosso-san looked as though she had resigned herself to the situation, but her flushed face, enormous breasts, and thighs were dazzling as well.
And then there was Miyu-san, the invincible fleet of lewdness herself, for whom no further explanation was necessary.
My gaze had stopped moving anywhere but among the three of them. My eyeballs had completely escaped my control.
My reason was screaming at me to retreat before any other functions went out of control as well.
"Huh? More importantly, why are you hunched over? Is something wrong?"
"Miyu, please... don't mention that."
"Miyu-chi, let Otaku-kun leave. More importantly, help me get changed...!"
With the support of the other two... support? Probably with their support, I backed away and tried to close the door.
"Understood. I do not know why, but we will change. Kota-san, please wait in the hallway again."
"Okay... Um, I'm going to meditate, so take your time changing, okay...?"
"Why are you going to meditate at a time like this?"
"Or I'll go outside and scream."
"Why...? Even if there are few houses nearby, wouldn't that disturb the neighbors?"
"All right. Then I'll devote myself to meditating. So... so please leave me alone."
I said that, summoned up the last scraps of my reason, and closed the door.
I turned my back on the living room, moved several meters away, and sat down cross-legged in the hallway.
I imagined Wulvhezin and Scorpia—the deadly battles I had fought against them. If I had to fight them again, how would I move?
It was less meditation than mental rehearsal. Even so, I forcibly shifted my thoughts toward the mindset I had during battle.
The reason I had to do this was something I could never tell anyone. Even if it was completely obvious to Riko-senpai and Rosso-san...!
My formidable enemies... lend me your strength...!
This was────a battle to protect my social life.
＊ ＊ ＊
Afterward, despite the slightly awkward atmosphere, we enjoyed the party after the girls changed back into their original clothes.
Fortunately, once we started making merry over games without punishment rounds, we were able to return to our usual atmosphere.
After playing for about an hour, we called it a night. Rosso-san was apparently going to give Riko-senpai a ride on her motorcycle.
With that, I went home.
The moment I reached my room and let out a huge sigh, an email arrived from Miyu-san.
'When I win, please let me take photographs.'
That was the message she sent.
Along with a photograph of her wearing that indecent shrine maiden outfit.
...Wait, could it be? If I lose, will I be made to wear something like that?
As I immediately saved the photograph and prepared to transfer it to offline storage, I made a vow.
I must never, ever play a match with Miyu-san again if it includes a punishment game.
Huh. Why can't I stop shivering?