Chapter 21: We Are Not Demons Either
She had to pay for what she did yesterday.
A very, very painful price.
Kanzaki Sumire stared at Someya Sara, grinding her teeth as the thought burned. Yet at the same time, looking at the girl’s red-rimmed eyes and hearing that soft, trembling, tear-soaked voice, all the punishments she had imagined on the way here surged uncontrollably into her mind.
Lock the girl in a basement. Use every tool at her disposal to teach her, correct her.
Of course she’d cry at first, tears streaming, face swollen from fear and pain. Those misty blue eyes would puff up, lips bitten until they bled.
But that was fine.
Once she got used to it, she’d only be able to let the tears fall while begging pitifully.
And besides…
She was blind. Even if she tried to run, she wouldn’t know which way to go. She’d only hurt herself more, crashing into walls, forced to endure their rage in that pitch-black room with no way out.
No choice.
It was all the retribution she deserved!
The thought of paying back yesterday’s humiliation tenfold made Kanzaki Sumire’s lips curve into a light, involuntary smile. The anger that had been choking her all morning finally eased a little.
Poor, weak, helpless, still shaking like a leaf, Someya Sara had no idea what was going through Kanzaki Sumire’s head. But her small-animal danger instincts screamed.
Waaah…
I-I’m done for!
“X-Xiao Nuosang!”
She frantically called for help.
“W-what do we do now?! Something went wrong! This isn’t the plot we were promised!”
QAQ.
Xiao Nuosang didn’t answer right away.
One second, two seconds, three seconds later, it finally popped out, voice uncertain and weak.
[Baby… maybe… they think you look tastier?]
“Hah?”
Someya Sara blanked completely.
What kind of reason was that?
That didn’t count as a reason at all!
She didn’t want to be the heroine of some cheap smut doujin!
Whimper!
Just go after Hoshiori Tsukiyo, please…
And so, in order to survive, our Miss Someya Sara raised her head, voice shaking, and began frantically selling her own girlfriend.
“I-I’m really boring… I just stay home and draw…”
“I haven’t showered in days…”
“But Tsukiyo… Tsukiyo-nee is smart, nice, super pretty, amazing at cooking, and she makes lots of money…”
So go for her instead.
Kanzaki Sumire tilted her head with a look that said, What the heck is this girl talking about?
Meanwhile, Xiao Nuosang fell silent again. It hadn’t expected its host to be this gullible; it was only joking earlier. It never thought she’d actually believe anything it said.
Forget that in the game the heroine Hoshiori Tsukiyo had that “concept goddess” succubus physique that made people addicted after one taste. There were clearly no tools in the car; they were obviously just scaring her.
Yep.
That’s definitely it.
[Baby…] Xiao Nuosang poked the already-panicking girl. [Here’s the plan: insist it wasn’t you. I’ll hack your phone right now and delete the original video files so they can’t find anything.]
[Besides, they’re definitely just bluffing. They won’t actually do anything.]
[The game made it very clear: those three perverts are only interested in the heroine because of her succubus body. Once they get a taste, they can’t stop… cough.]
[So don’t be scared. Just do your job as a proper tool, and the plot will get back on track by itself.]
[Jakui Rinrincho, Kanzaki Sumire, Aizen Sou Hazuki; those three will definitely be drawn to Hoshiori Tsukiyo. That’s the power of the protagonist halo!] Xiao Nuosang declared confidently.
“Mm…”
Someya Sara nodded, half-convinced, feeling a little relieved.
Right…
They’re definitely just scaring me.
If they really planned to do something bad, they wouldn’t just park near the park, right?
They must be waiting for Tsukiyo.
And so, our Miss Someya Sara successfully calmed herself down.
To help her act more convincingly, Xiao Nuosang removed the system vision early.
Familiar darkness and blur returned. Someya Sara instinctively curled her fingers; the fear she had just suppressed began creeping back. But remembering Xiao Nuosang’s words, she forced herself to sit straighter, put on a brave front, and followed instructions, protesting loudly:
“I-I really haven’t done anything bad from yesterday until now!”
“You definitely got the wrong person!”
“I don’t even know what video you’re talking about! Really!”
As she spoke, she fumbled her phone out of her pocket, clutching it like a lifeline, hesitated, then held it out toward them.
“And I’m blind! How could I possibly post stuff with my phone?”
“I-if you don’t believe me, check it yourselves. There’s nothing in here.”
Even though she tried to sound confident, her voice still shook, and by the end it had turned into: O-okay? Maybe… there’s a one-in-a-million chance… it was me?
The car fell silent.
All three women said nothing, simply staring at Someya Sara with heavy, suffocating gazes.
“Pfft.”
The first to break the silence was Aizen Sou Hazuki’s soft laugh.
She lowered her head, covering her mouth. Those naturally down-turned eyes, which always looked melancholic and gentle, sparkled with sunlight and amusement.
“Okay,” she said lightly.
*
Xiao Nuosang had done its job perfectly.
No matter how thoroughly Aizen Sou Hazuki checked the phone, the gallery only contained blurry scenery shots, photos of Hoshiori Tsukiyo, photos of Someya Sara herself, and couple pictures. Browser history, chat logs, social media; everything was spotless.
“Hey, Sumire, Rinrincho.” Aizen Sou Hazuki looked up, pale purple eyes blinking with perfectly measured confusion and doubt. Her voice sounded muffled, almost sulky. “It really doesn’t look like it’s her. She doesn’t even have an account.”
Jakui Rinrincho turned her head, glanced at the tear tracks at the corners of the girl’s eyes, then suddenly gave a soft laugh. In her usual low, cold, icy tone she said slowly:
“Miss Sara, are you still going to play innocent and pitiful in front of us?”
“If we didn’t have solid evidence, we wouldn’t have come for you.” She emphasized each word carefully. “After all, we’re not demons who bully people just because we can.”