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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 182 Part 1

Rokujin Divine Gate

「—That’s all from me. My bad. The sabotage of the Outenmon failed.」

「Ah, yes. Thank you for your hard work, Touma… No, if you couldn’t do it, then I think it’s impossible for anyone.」

「Shu, Shuten-douji, huh? To think the boss character of this other world (raid) would come out.」

While Tatsuya is showing a distant look on his face, Kotarou-kun’s face is twitching.

Ah, by the way, I’m leaving out the explanation about Subaru-kun’s case.

He should not have gotten acquainted with Tatsuya and the others, and the talk would be bothersome.

Worst case scenario, in the case Subaru-kun fails to return, all we have to do is put all preparations in order and return to take him back.

In that sense, what to do about the army of imprinted girls here, I wonder?

If they are like Honami-san, they should not be able to return to Rashomon even after the quest period is over.

I am not so heartless as to take the initiative and abandon them, but I am also not so righteous as to risk my essence to help them out.

Even if people condemn that as being heartless, there are things I can’t do either.

Conversely, if it’s within my capabilities, I’ll lend them a hand.

That’s the stance I draw the line at.

If I keep this ambiguous, it will cause uncertainty when push comes to shove.

That opening is sometimes fatal.

「I don’t know about that drunkard or alcoholic oni thingy, but you see… If it’s guarded by a boss you can’t beat, it’s practically impossible to destroy Outenmon, no?」

Riru-san, sitting on the same rock as Tatsuya, lets out a sigh and points her palm upward.

Somehow, I get the feeling that I’m being overrated here.

「In other words, given that the onis on this Onigashima are immortal, conquering it is as good as an impossible game, right?」

「Depends on what you mean by『Conquer』.」

If it refers to the annihilation of the other world (raid) 『Onigashima』, then it’s probably impossible.

However, according to the rules of the『Onigokko』 quest, the conquest can be said to be a success as long as you can return safely to the academy.

「… I see. I guess that’s true.」

「If we have no chance of winning in a head-on battle, then we should just challenge them with rules under which we can never lose… Which means we have to change our way of thinking, right?」

No, hell if I know.

Kotarou-kun looks as if he has awakened to the truth.

Riru-san too, I hope she can stop looking at me with eyes that seem to say: Hmph, not bad.

Well, I think the change of approach that Kotarou-kun came up with is not wrong.

The point is where to set the winning condition.

「True enough, simply defeating the onis will be meaningless. It will do nothing in the capacity of saving the girls, huh.」

Tatsuya, with a somber profile, glances at the group of girls who are forming a circle at a distance.

How should I put it, there’s a strange sexiness to that dark expression of his.

The distressed figure suits him to a tee.

Riru-san, who is captivated by it, seems to have a sadistic side to her.

Or rather, as if it’s only natural, he seems to be intending to rescue all the girls.

Wasn’t his original goal to protect their party member Honami-san?

Tatsuya, noticing my gaze, tilts his head slightly.

「Err, what’s wrong?」

「No.」

I’m sure it’s not mistaken, and I don’t intend to reproach that stance of his either.

I just hope he won’t get lost when push comes to shove.

Riru-san seems to perceive my concern, but she simply shrugs her shoulders in exasperation.

「Then what are you going to do from here on, Touma-kun?」

「Yeah, I’m going to…」

「If possible, I would like to ask you to help us, Touma-kun. I do not mind even if you think of me as a parasite.」

Kotarou-kun, saying it all without averting his gaze, bows his head.

「I do think it is a selfish and egotistical thing to say. But I beg you. Please help us.」

His head, continuing to go down, touches the ground.

An exact forehead-planting dogeza.

「… There’s a place I have to head to. If you want to go there with me, I won’t stop you.」

「T, thank you! I will do my best not to cause you any trouble.」

As Kotarou-kun raises his face, sand falls from his forehead.

Momiji, kneeling next to him, pats him to drop the sand.

「Ah, no… Phew, looks like I’ve ended up exposing my disgraceful appearance to you. Do laugh all you want. But I know better than anyone that my vessel is not that of a protagonist (Hero). So all I can do is bow my head like this. Phew.」

「Are you an idiot? No one is laughing at you.」

Riru-san, with her arms folded, turns her face away and snorts.

I’m of the same opinion.

Well, going with me isn’t necessarily safe, though.

To be frank, I’ve completely lost track of the direction that Subaru-kun gave me.

I get the feeling that it was probably around the downstream of the river.

Let’s just take it as such.

「So… Just what is Honami doing, that one?」

The group of girls at a distance is continuing what seems to be a discussion in hushed voices.

They seem to be surrounding Honami-san in the center.

That one, as opposed to being condemned, I wonder if she is being fêted.

With a strange fervor—.

「!?」

A chilling chill runs down my spine.

Instinctively, I sense a danger to my life.

「What’s wrong, Touma?」

「No… I guess it’s just my imagination.」

I see no figure and sense no presence of monsters in the surrounding area.

Hence, it’s probably just my imagination.

◇ ◇ ◇

―― Territory『Hanging Woodland, Bloodsucking Valley Campground』 ――

―― countdown: 04: 21: 30: 59 ――

Preparations for the move had begun.

Rice was being cooked in a large pot, and onigiri they had created were being wrapped in leaves for portable food.

The same went for the roasted, unboned wild boar meat.

There were also some girls who were tilting their heads, wondering where the large pot and rice bale came from.

On that part, Tatsuya and the others who accepted it without thinking about it could be said to have been corrupted.

The army of girls used to have eyes like that of dead fish, but now they were beginning to move as if their switch had been flipped.

「Honami… You, just what have you inflicted on these girls?」

At the words of Riru, who had her hands on her hips, Honami floated an archaic smile on her face.

「Oh, you. With the way you put it, it sounds as if I am trying to deceive them, does it not? Feels like it has been a while, has it not, Riru-san?」

「I guess so. It’s been five days, huh. The raid is making my sense of time out of whack.」

「Yes, it makes it like that, does it not? That period was like a dream, so I feel like it passed in the blink of an eye.」

As Honami clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her cheeks flushed with rapture.

「If it’s you, I knew you would say that, but… Sigh.」

「Ah. By any chance, were you trying to help me out?」

「Not me, but Tatsuya.」

「My oh my… Looks like I have caused you trouble, have I not? Thank you very much.」

As Honami bowed her head, Riru looked at with a fishy look.

「You have no reason to thank me, do you? I mean, you didn’t wish to be rescued, did you? To begin with, we passed by each other. And it was that Touma guy that found you, after all.」

「That is exactly why.」

Riru was put off by the melty expression on Honami’s face.

Like being enraptured with a sober face, like being excited with a plain face, it was a smile so pure and charming that made one shudder.

As she stroked her lower abdomen, she turned her melty eyes to Touma.

Half-naked in the river, Touma was engaging in the mysterious activity of peering under the rock he lifted.

「I was a fool. Yes, it was quality rather than quantity that was important… I have to share this with everyone, otherwise I will incur divine wrath.」

◇ ◇ ◇

「Touma, what are you doing?」

Tatsuya, having returned from foraging, is holding a persimmon-like fruit.

「Yeah, I was wondering if some lol Four Heavenly Kings were caught in it.」

While I’m at it, I’m also looking for crabs.

No, it’s okay, I know.

Thinking about it normally, there is no way a giant demon would be hiding under a rock.

However, there is a possibility that Onikuma-douji might pop out with persimmon seeds, just for laughs.

「I don’t quite get it, but I don’t think there’s any….」

「Exactly.」

Onikuma-douji had a bearded face that looked more like a tiger than a monkey, after all.