First Outer World Story Series: The Black Mist that Devours - Chapter 27
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
(Ryo POV)
“There’s another one today too…?”
It had already been a month after the defeat of the “Ogre King of Dominating Herculean Strength” of the “Ogre’s Fortress,” aka Labyrinth X-J1, at the hands of Kurokiri.
Although various things have transpired during that time, I’ll leave it to Houki to explain it (read the preceding chapter).
And now, what was distressing me was the thing stored in my shoe cupboard before my eyes. It was a letter with something in a rectangular shape. By now, I can recall sighting it 15 times over the past month.
Surely the reason for the rise in number must be that Ichiko was gone and I, who was grieving on the sidelines, had begun to smile again, thus this was the opportunity for them to confess! Or anything along those lines. What a load of crap.
“Hey, look. Ryo-san is getting another letter.”
“How nice. I wish I could get one too.”
“But I bet Lady Ryo… will reject it this time too.”
“That is so true?!”
I can hear the voices of jealousy all around her. Honestly, the recipient (me) had to go through the hassle of viewing the contents and refusing the offer, all for the sake of maintaining a good public reputation and avoiding any lingering regret.
I mean, why do boys have to write love letters? Why don’t you just confess your feelings in public like a man!
On top of that, there are even idiots who will start weeping or start a rampage in a fit of rage when I reject them politely! I’d much rather deal with Kurokiri, who has been clear from the beginning that I belong to him!
“Uh, I’ll have to check this out first.”
I double-checked the front and back sides of the letter after taking it from the shoe cupboard. There was no information about the sender or the addressee. What was holding the letterhead together was an ordinary frog-shaped sticker.
I then peeled off the sticker and inspected the contents.
Let’s see, the contents are…?
[Dear Nasu Ryo-senpai
I have something I would like to tell and discuss with you, senpai. Please meet me at the back of the gym after school.
Yaharai Chirito.]
“…”
Yaharai Chirito… ah, if I remember correctly, you are the younger brother of Houki-san, aren’t you? I believe he should have been a boy with a baby face, no taller than 150, even though he is in his first year of high school. That brings back memories… we often shared playtime together when we were little.
But he would know that if he wanted to confess to me, he would have to do it up front, which means that there was something that he was reluctant to convey… or rather, something that he can’t say in public.
“It can’t be helped. I shall head there.”
Ah, but just to be on the safe side, I should inform Kurokiri to have a couple of Fogs on the standby line since the entrance to the labyrinth was close by.
————–
And here I was, at the back of the gymnasium. Chirito was standing in front of me, seemingly unsettled.
“U-uh, t-thank you very much for coming today, Nasu-senpai.”
“Since you and I are friends and there is no one else here, it is fine to call me Ryo onee-chan like you used to do.”
“Um… Ah, yes. Then there is something I would like to ask you first, Ryo onee-chan.”
“What is it?”
I knew it, this atmosphere; it’s not a confession.
“To begin with, the skill I possess is called ?Personal Analyze?.”
…! Analytical skill?
“I was aware of this skill when the presence of the skill was publicized last time. This is what I want to tell you. And what I want to discuss with you is about Houki nee-san.”
This is… not good.
“I took a look at Houki nee-san with this skill the other day. And it turned out… she’s not human.”
I knew it!!
“Ryo onee-chan. Do you know what has happened to my sister! If that wasn’t my sister, and if it turned out to be a demon in her skin…”
I don’t think I have a choice.
“Chirito, rest assured. That is undoubtedly your sister.”
“Is that true!?”
“Yes, it is. And you can use that skill on me.”
“Uh-huh. ?Personal Analyze?… Eh?”
“The Kirijin is not a single entity.”
“Eh, w-why is Ryo onee-chan…?
“And now that you know this much, I can’t afford to let you simply walk away.”
“L-lies. It can’t be… it can’t be…”
Chirito was in a tumultuous state, his head in his hands. That was only a natural response. Two non-human beings had been in his immediate vicinity. Nonetheless, I cannot back down now that I have revealed all this to him.
“Chirito, be at ease. Even if the race has changed, it does not prove that the heart has equally changed. So for now…”
“Ah, uh…”
“Go to sleep. ?Mist Slap?!”
“Gah!”
When my ?Mist Slap? struck Chirito in the face, his body was blown away, causing him to pass out.
Now all that remained was…
“Fogs and the others. Quickly bring him into the labyrinth. Kurokiri. Is everything ready?”
[I understand?] [Aiaisa?]
[I’ve made preparations. I’d be grateful for the opportunity to convert him into a kin since analytical skills are valuable. Well then, I’m disconnecting.]
Thus, I was the sole remaining person in the back of the gymnasium. Perhaps tomorrow, Chirito will become a kin of Kurokiri and come outside.
Even so…
“I’ve done it too, haven’t I? This time, I completely cooperated with Kurokiri voluntarily… I can only hope that nothing like this will arise in the future…”
?
Check out other Outer World Story series in order: Outer World Story: The Black Mist that Devours (First series), Outer World Story: Pumpkin Sorcerer (Third series), Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture (Fourth series)