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Inyouchuu Gaiden Chapter 1 Part 2

「……It’s not a very strong spell, or one that’s woven in a good way. It’s the kind of result that you get when some amateur tries to get his hands on things that they absolutely should not be playing with, and end up getting hurt as a result. Either that, or someone trying to make money off of youmas.」

「I guess, huh?」

Her younger sister’s words made Mikoto’s brows frown, and she thought of this particular request.

Mikoto and her sister belonged to the “Black Cat Extermination Brigade’s Branch Office”. They were mainly students, but they were also working as Exorcists. As a genius beautiful female Exorcist (self-proclaimed title), Mikoto has solved various cases of youma attacks and disappearances in the past. Both Mikoto and Takeru took pride in saying that if it was something related to the world of Exorcisms (other than genuine ghosts in Mikoto’s case), their clients could leave the job to them and expect it to be done splendidly. The request brought to the branch office to which such a beautiful female Exorcist (title self-proclaimed) belonged this time around was to exterminate the youmas that were once captured by other Exorcists, but somehow managed to escape confinement. The one to request such a task was the “Kashiwagi Youma Research Institute” —— a research institute established by the Kashiwagi Conglomerate, one of the leading business entities in the entire Japan.

「Where would you even go to sell the data obtained from the youma research anyway?」

A number of devices were attached to the broken glass case. They must have collected the ecological data of the youma that used to be sealed in the case itself. Takeru stuffed the torn ofuda talisman into her pocket and she smiled wryly at her older sister.

「It seems that the youmas that were being held captive here somehow got out and attacked the researchers. Not that this information is of any use to us.」

「That’s what you get for being stingy with the budget, anyways. Apparently the request fee they provided was also nothing to write home about. At least, according to Yoru.」

By Yoru, Mikoto meant the Nekomata, the manager of the Black Cat Extermination Brigade’s Branch Office. She remembered that before they left for this job, he complained a whole lot about this case in particular..

「…… I would like for people to understand just how severe our food situation back at home really is this month. That would be great.」

Takeru complained while sighing heavily. True to her words, the financial situation of the Branch Office of the “Black Cat Extermination Brigade” for this month was really poor. And now to top it all off, they had this odd job to be worried about.

(…… Hey, it’s not my fault that I happen to break stuff to pieces every time we go to work!)

Mikoto then shook her head as if trying to dismiss the fact that she was also the part of the reason why their financial situation was never all that good. When she remembered the mountain of apology letters that she was forced to write every single time a case was solved by them, she would become more and more depressed.

「W-Well, I mean, yeah, enough about that! Come on, Takeru! We seem to be finished here, so let’s just hurry it up and get the hell out of here.」

It was at that moment that the youmas suddenly appeared before the twins once again.

「Takeru! Kuhh! Uhh!!」

A magic formation was drawn on the floor where there should have been nothing just a moment ago, and several tentacles stretched out from there. The two were caught in a gap and could not even move, and their hands and feet were easily detained by the long, wriggling masses.

A feeling of dampness was then transmitted to Mikoto’s arms. The peculiar odor emitted by the youmas also pierced Mikoto’s nose, making her choke and become momentarily unable to breathe.

「W-Why you little…… Let go! Let go of me, right this instant!」

Mikoto panicked and struggled desperately, but could not shake off the restraints on her arms and legs. The tentacles entwined around her like snakes, slowly tightening their grip over Mikoto’s slender arms and her slender legs. She was incapable of manifesting ‘Raiko’ while in this state as well, so she was virtually defenseless.

The long and thin flesh straps, only the tips of which seemed to be eerily swollen, were entwined around her elbows. Then, once her arms were completely immobilized, the tentacles started to wrap themselves around her waist as well. Her ankles were also tied really tight to the floor with ugly fleshy protrusions.

(I…… I feel sick just from looking at them……!!)

The movements of the tentacles were also really slow. Slowly crawling on top of the skin of the girl who was unable to move. Her hands, the rubbery feeling of having her arms squeezed by them tight, leaving streaks of slime on her lukewarm soft skin. The tepid warmth that made her feel as if she was soaking in lukewarm water amplified her discomfort even further. At the same time, the tentacles that were entwined around her legs started moving from her feet with their soggy and swelling bodies towards her thighs, entwining around them like rubber bands, tightening accordingly. Her white, over knee socks were soaked with slimy mucus all over. It would also seem that Mikoto’s struggles to break free were only making the matters worse.

「Let me go!! Didn’t you hear me, you assholes!?」

Mikoto could not stand having her beloved work clothes soiled by youmas like that. Her raging voice was mixed with anger and unparalleled fury.

「Kuuh……! Why, you little……!!!」

Takeru was also unable to move. She frantically moves her bound arms and struggled to get out of the field that generated the new youmas, but the girl’s strength alone couldn’t do anything about it. Takeru’s calm and composed expression changed slightly at that realization. It was a very slight change, but her older sister, Mikoto, could easily understand the meaning of her younger sister’s expression.

「T-Takeru……!!」

The emotion on her face was fear. In the past, when Takeru accepted a certain request, she was captured by a youmas and suffered tremendous torture and humiliation as a result. The fear of that time being close to repeating itself must have been slowly creeping its way towards her mind right now.

(I can’t let Takeru go through something like that again……!!)

When she learned about Takeru being taken captive and the fate that befell her, Mikoto deeply regretted not going with her. The only things that she could feel at that time was tremendous guilt and helplessness. She was the only blood relative that Mikoto had here. She was her dear sister. Because of that, Mikoto did not want to see Takeru having to suffer like that ever again.

(I don’t like that!! I don’t want to feel that way ever again……!!)

That was what allowed Mikoto to find a new source of power in her bound arms. She did not care if her own arm would be twisted off or downright broken. If she could save Takeru right now, even if it was going to be a sliver of a chance for that…… then Mikoto did not need anything else to spring into action.

「Takeru, it’s okay! I am definitely going to save you! You will see!」

Mikoto raised her voice and shouted at her sister.

「S-Sis……」

Takeru turned a weak and helpless gaze towards Mikoto. Yes, she was going to save her! No matter what! But even so, Mikoto could do nothing to force the tentacles to let her go. Even though she wielded an Exorcism Sword and had the power to defeat youmas by the dozens on her own, her’s was still a woman’s slender arm.

(But I won’t give up. I won’t give up, no matter what! I have to save Takeru, even if it costs me my life……!!)

Still, she would not give up and she would keep on struggling for as long as it was necessary.

WHOOOSH!!!

It was at that moment that a sound resounded throughout the room, as if something was thrown through the air and flew forward.

「Huh!?」

Right in front of Mikoto, the tentacles that bound Takeru’s body flew off.

WHOOSH! WHOOOSH! WHOOOSH!!!

A quiet sound continued to carry on. Then for the third time, fourth time, and so on and so forth. The tentacles that were restraining Takeru were all exterminated before long.

「What the……!?」

Takeru opened her eyes in surprise. At the same time, the Shiratori sisters turned their gaze to where they heard the sound coming from.

「…… It seems that the two of you are having a rather hard time dealing with this situation, huh?」

A woman was standing at the entrance to the laboratory.