I Became the Final Subjugation Target of That Era’s Light Novel

“Scam Artists Couple?”

As Yuka reacted to Kaoru’s words, Kaoru nodded and handed us a magazine.

[The Fate of the Conscience-less Scam Artists Couple: Revenge or Divine Retribution?]

I thought while reading the article that it was probably closer to divine retribution. No, if we’re being technical, it’s not divine retribution. It’s just that the couple lived there, and by chance, that place happened to be highly visible to that yōkai. So, if we were to argue, it’s merely coincidence.

It’s like that time they parked illegally just once, and by coincidence, the enforcement team was nearby, resulting in a fine. That could also be described as “coincidence.”

“Senpai, do you believe in such magazines?”

“Not so much believe, but the accuracy rate of predictions made here is quite high.”

Kaoru said, puffing out her chest.

“Not just a few lucky guesses…?”

“Because they’re people who disregard everything and dig for stories.”

So, it means they’ve long since discarded any minimum ethics expected of journalists.

Well, considering they show the deceased’s information without any filter, that seems to be true.

I had heard that Japanese media has been less strict about such things from the start, often showing people’s faces to an almost questionable degree in the news.

I wasn’t sure, though, if we could really call this magazine media.

“Senpai, still, it’s not appropriate to use terms like divine retribution regarding accidents.”

With a light sigh, Yuka returned the magazine to Kaoru.

“Regardless of the life lived, there should be a level of respect for death.”

Perhaps because of Yuka’s profession, those words sounded quite persuasive.

To Yuka, who hunts yōkai, every person is a being that should be protected.

Within that realm, there’s no right to distinguish between ‘humans that need to be protected’ and ‘humans that don’t need protection.’

As long as we are human, we cannot completely exclude our emotions. Once we start distinguishing humans, we could eventually lead ourselves to something like ‘indirect murder.’

The best Yuka can do is to keep them alive and leave the rest to the authorities.

Last time, it was probably because Yuka didn’t kill the man-eating serial killer I found.

“It’s not like I thought I deserved to die.”

Kaoru replied with a pout, looking like a child.

“Still, it’s interesting. This is related to that magazine too. This tip-off was from one of the scam victims.”

“… So it’s actually farther away from ‘occult’ than it sounds.”

A school bully dies in a drunk driving accident; a murderer dies of pancreatic cancer; a scam artist dies in a fire… it’s just that what could happen to anyone has also happened to those who did wrong in the past.

So it would just appear to an ordinary person as a coincidental death.

But not to the victims. To them, it would look like divine retribution. They would want to think that way.

“Koto Ne?”

Koko, half-eating a castella, called my name.

… I must have had too serious an expression.

Koko, staring at me while holding half a castella, handed it over.

“This.”

“…”

Is she worried about me?

I silently took the castella and took a bite.

It was soft and delicious. Is this bread sold at the school store?

“That’s from a local specialty shop. What do you think? Tasty?”

Kaoru asked with a smile, as if she had been waiting for me to try it.

Could it be that she brought a new tease because my reaction to the store-bought bread was underwhelming?

“…”

I guess from now on, I have no choice but to fall for this bait. I thought as I continued eating the bread.

*

After that, we spent a pretty quiet afternoon, just like always.

But the Literature Club has maintained its identity quite well – or maybe that’s just because there wasn’t really anything else to do.

Mobile processors these days are all expensive. Even in the 2020s, laptops weren’t exactly cheap, but in just 20 years, performance of portable devices has increased dramatically, making it enough for watching videos and light gaming on most entry-level mobile devices.

If that were the case, the atmosphere here would have been quite different. Everyone would probably be glued to their smartphones.

“Ugh.”

… Or not?

Honestly, I can’t easily imagine Koko just staring at her smartphone. Even when I turn on the TV at home, she doesn’t seem to be very interested, and she usually prefers me to read books to her.

“Since Koko seems to be getting bored too, shall we end it here for today?”

Izumi said with a relaxed expression as she closed her book.

As if saying she didn’t do much, we only read a book.

“… Ah, but…”

At that moment, like she had suddenly remembered, Yuka turned to Izumi and asked a question she had seemingly forgotten.

“Is there no other activity in the Literature Club besides reading? We’ll have to do something for the cultural festival…”

“…”

Kaoru and Izumi’s gazes were fixed on Yuka.

“Ah.”

“Ah, no, that doesn’t seem right.”

Izumi muttered, sounding like a hapless club president often depicted in light novels, as Yuka returned with a look of disbelief.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. We still have plenty of time. It’s a cultural festival, and we still have three months, right?”

Kaoru said.

To be precise, it’s probably two and a half months… or maybe even less than that.

“All we have to do is write something and tie it together. As long as we pretend to be active about it, the Student Council will overlook us.”

“…”

“And if the Literature Club gets closed down, then it’ll be my turn to step in. Everyone better be thinking about joining the Occult Club, okay?”

“Kaoru!”

In the end, with Kaoru’s last remark, Izumi shouted, wrapping up today’s Literature Club activity.

*

A few days later, on Friday.

It was welcoming that I could spend time with Koko, but that brought up one major problem.

Completely blocking off any solo actions to investigate something.

Koko understood when I said I was going out to work, but if I tried to leave for any other reason, she would just get up and follow me.

Even if I wanted to tell her to stop, I couldn’t find a good excuse. Whenever I saw her round, shining eyes staring at me, I couldn’t bring myself to say to wait at home.

Am I really this weak-hearted?

…

I don’t really know. Before coming to this world, I had lost my will to evaluate myself objectively after living alone for a long time.

In the end, what I chose was—

“… Yuka.”

“Yeah?”

Since my classmates all knew about my part-time job, I was able to skip practice and come out today.

Of course, Koko came along too.

After practice late in the afternoon, it would take an hour on the subway to get back to Saitama, and by then, the sun would have completely set.

Since I hadn’t taught Koko how to ride the bus for long, she seemed to think she was more used to walking home rather than taking the bus.

Riding the bus made her worry about passing her stop, and walking brought back memories of experiences that I had to deal with.

Still, I had told Koko that she shouldn’t harm people, but it was okay for her to protect herself when necessary. How she would define that ‘necessary moment’ was another story.

… No, this isn’t the topic that should be worrying me right now.

I guess it was more of a self-justification regarding what I had to tell Yuka.

“Can we go out today?”

“Today?”

Yuka, who had been walking with me, stopped and opened her eyes wide.

Koko seemed to have the same reaction upon understanding my words.

Has Koko never seen Yuka before?

Koko had enjoyed the previous training camp 100%, and she also had a good time during the beach trip, before that incident occurred. She had fully learned the meaning of “going out” as doing something fun.

I felt a slight guilt seeing Koko looking at me with sparkling eyes.

And I felt even more guilty seeing Yuka, who had a similar sparkle in her eyes.

“Aren’t you going to your part-time job today?”

“… Yeah.”

I answered in a voice that had grown slightly smaller.

“Ah.”

Smart-headed Yuka seemed to have quickly grasped why I said that.

Of course, it was far from my ‘true intention.’

“I see.”

That gaze turned toward Koko. She must have thought I was worried about ‘Koko walking home alone.’

“Alright then. For now, let’s go back with Koko. I’ll take Kuro along to our house. My grandfather seems to miss him every now and then. I’ll buy plenty of snacks for home too.”

“…”

Oh, no.

“Dinner will be ready once you get back. I’ll prepare something delicious.”

“That’s not necessary—”

“Koko, what do you want for dinner today?”

“Meat!”

“Then let’s have meat!”

“Wow!”

…

My heart aches.

The part responsible for my conscience should be in my head, yet I don’t know why my heart feels this way.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, huh.”

In response to my apology, Yuka smiled as if she didn’t care at all, making me feel even more embarrassed.

“Honestly, it’s possible to live helping each other, right? So don’t think too much about it.”

“…”

I nodded with my mouth tightly shut.

No matter how I think about it, I don’t know if I can pay off all this debt.

Moreover, if I think of the prophecy—

— No, let’s leave that thought for later.

For now, I have to handle what’s in front of me.

“Thank you, really.”

When I said that, Yuka beamed at me with a smile.

Really, it was a beautiful smile that made me think she truly was the main heroine of a light novel.

*

After finishing work, I headed quickly to Yuka’s shrine after getting her approval.

In my hands was an occult magazine, something I bought from a convenience store, similar to what Kaoru reads. The cover of the occult magazine was a bit graphic, which made me a little uneasy when buying it, but thankfully the cashier handled my payment without even bothering to look at my face.

While the address wasn’t obviously shown in the occult magazine, it still contained absurd information like what’s nearby or which restaurant had tasty food, so it didn’t take too long to find the place.

… It seems this magazine is kind of a guide for ‘occult holy places.’ I heard from Kaoru last time that it’s famous for repeating stories that have already been covered.

This incident would likely be brought up again and again in the magazine should it spark interest.

Well, that doesn’t concern me.

On the contrary, I prefer having a handy magazine. Thanks to it, I have a clue to solve the case.

“…”

While walking, I stopped in my tracks because of a smell.

Naturally, the fire had already been under control for a long time. But still, the characteristic burnt scent lingers stubbornly.

Even after the fire has been extinguished and the house is thoroughly cleaned, that foul smell remains around.

Moreover, when the fire department responds to a fire scene, they spray immense amounts of water, which then collects on the ground like a puddle. If the cause of the fire cannot be determined, the demolition of that place will take longer.

… And, they said a family had died there.

I looked at the occult magazine.

The bodies had reportedly burned almost completely, leaving hardly any trace. So the occult magazine even wrote a small speculation in a corner that “perhaps the couple fled the fire.”

The conclusion that the whole family died was made because at least some remains were found inside. The likelihood of that was deemed ‘infinitesimally small.’

The residential area had blocked off the alley. I could see the general area of the fire scene if I got close to the police line, but it seems unlikely that I could check the inside.

Would it be possible to use Yuka’s authority?

I shook my head at the thought.

That wouldn’t be possible.

The position of a yōkai hunter is not known to the general public. Given that there’s a specific organization that deals with it, the surrounding police likely wouldn’t let anyone through.

I had some thoughts in mind.

I took care not to be seen by the surrounding people while slowly making a round to survey the situation.

What I found was a bathroom in a nearby park.

The location wasn’t great. It looked filthy, likely not cleaned properly. Still, it was a perfect place to secretly cut my wrist.

I entered one of the stalls in the women’s bathroom and pulled up my left sleeve as high as possible.

Then, I took out the raincoat I had bought from the convenience store, putting it on, and tied the back of my wrist with a rubber band. I wasn’t expecting the blood to not flow at all, but it would certainly be better than letting it gush out.

After confirming there were no other places nearby where blood might spill, I took the knife out from my bag and brought it to my wrist.

As the tip of the knife touched my thin skin, that part instantly turned cold.

… Really, it’s a sensation that’s difficult to adapt to no matter how many times I experience it.

I clenched my teeth and plunged the knife in.

And feeling a burning pain, I drew it sideways.

Red blood flowed from my wrist, staining the tattoo underneath. At first glance, it looked like just black ink had been etched, but as the blood made contact, it began to depict an image, dyeing the lines a red hue.

“Ugh…!”

And in the center of that magic circle, a wound opened and closed vertically and horizontally.

As if a red eye was forming on my wrist.

And that eye looked straight at me.

“It’s always such a strange feeling.”

Without even a greeting, the Jjapgurasu said to me.

“What do you mean strange?”

“It’s curious that you don’t see it as just passing by and dive into the fragments of the incident.”

“…”

“I’m curious about where you got the feeling for this incident.”

“… Do I have to tell you?”

At my question, a small chuckle echoed close to my ear.

“Your reactions are always intriguing. Well, you don’t need to answer. You enjoy solving puzzles, after all.”

Was that so?

… Well, in truth, that feeling is something people can feel. Observing the ant crawling on the ground and wondering where it’s headed, as well as checking the house it’s wandering around in, is a curiosity that an intelligent being can feel.

And perhaps creating an art piece by pouring melted aluminum into the ant’s nest stemmed from curiosity.

“So, this time, you’re curious about what I want.”

“There’s a place I want to observe without being noticed by others.”

“You want to go to that burned-down place, don’t you?”

So they’re watching after all.

“If you just tell me, that would be better.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I enjoy solving puzzles. If I don’t use your movements as a hint, I’m curious about how I can solve the puzzle.”

There’s a way to read my mind too.

Thinking of the reasons why that wouldn’t happen, there’s a massive difference between me and Jjapgurasu. Even if I were to open my mind, they may not be able to read my thoughts accurately. Just like it would be difficult for us to understand the thoughts of an ant if we were to split its head open.

And maybe that would feel like simply ‘looking at the answer sheet.’ Either way would benefit me. The reason Jjapgurasu continues to show interest in me is because of that.

“I might think of a way.”

“… Then let’s go with that.”

“The payment for this time—”

The Jjapgurasu suddenly stopped midway through its sentence.

The fact that its body isn’t moving means it’s not completely left my side yet. Rather, it seems to be lost in thought.

“—There’s no need for payment.”

“What?”

At the Jjapgurasu’s words, I unconsciously blurted that out.

“Just as I said. I don’t intend to receive payment.”

“Why?”

“How about thinking of it as a puzzle?”

“…”

I thought for a moment.

Jjapgurasu has always sought compensation to the extent that it could be troublesome for me, but come to think of it, when that compensation triggers their curiosity, there were times when our thoughts matched.

Like when I visited the Kudan to hear a prophecy.

“What do you think? Do you want my help?”

“… Yeah.”

Then, there’s no reason to refuse.

In the end, it might hurt and injure me, but it’d probably be better than having things unfold in a direction I can’t foresee.

A soft laughter reached my ear.

“You always make that choice.”

While it felt a bit good, as if my thoughts were being read, it wasn’t exclusively due to them reading my thoughts.

It was probably just Jjapgurasu attempting to forecast the future through its methods.

So at least it’s guaranteed that I won’t die.

“Quit with the small talk and just tell me.”

At my slightly irritated response, the Jjapgurasu let out a slight snort.

And then.

My vision went dark.

No, that’s not quite it.

I was lying on the ground.

…

No, it wasn’t that my body fell.

“Que?”

As I opened my mouth, that sound escaped. It felt like my vocal cords had been replaced by something else. I wanted to speak but couldn’t articulate properly, only producing that sound.

“…”

Ah, this.

Looking around, I noticed shoes worn by students from our school. They weren’t shoes with very high heels.

Looking up, I saw a high school girl in a raincoat.

With blood dripping down her hands.

Me.

“…”

I understand why Jjapgurasu liked my situation.

If I were to leave my ‘body’ in this state for too long, quite the spectacle would ensue.

I tried to cover my forehead with my hand, only to realize I didn’t have a hand.

This felt incredibly strange.

Yet it still holds some usefulness.

“Que que.”

As I tried to sigh in a language meant for oneself, I realized for the first time that there was no trouble for the ‘Chi.’

… I should wrap this up quickly.

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