Episode 4: No, This Is All Really a Misunderstanding?!
I slipped out of the crowded auditorium where new students were lined up for the application form.
I was heading to the supply room of the Extermination Division on the third floor of the Public Exorcist Girls' Academy.
"Eh? That person is probably the senior, Haruno Yukio-senpai from the second year..."
"Is it referring to the ace of the second-years...?"
My eyes were fixed on the legendary second-year ace of the Extermination Division, Haruno Yukio, from the many new students waiting quietly for the entrance test.
"Haruno-senpai? I'm Himuro, the first applicant from the Hitoshi family. I'll be counting on you from now on."
"Hee~ What a super cute name. Let's do our best in the entrance test~."
"Seniors!! Do you remember me? You saved me last time─."
"Of course I remember. I was worried sick, but it looks like you're doing great~."
"H-hey, senior! Could you exchange contacts with me...?"
"Of course. But promise to contact me often?"
Even while casually chatting with three juniors, I was accidentally seducing them all. In a way, that was the ultimate appeal for Yukio, but...
"Eh? Who's the person behind me...?"
"Ah? Takumi Hitoshi? I was keeping an eye on the special-interest new student, so I'm heading over to talk for a bit~."
It was an impossible opportunity right now, but her all-around popular "retriever plus capybara" personality was just another variable to make me miserable.
"Eh? The senpai was watching a special-interest new student?!"
"How amazing... to have a one-on-one with Yukio-senpai..."
I heard the rumors about the male new student from the girls' academy, Takumi Hitoshi. Despite the gloomy appearance, he seems pretty skilled.
With that single line from my respected senior, Yukio's "eye on that new student," came those piercing gazes aimed straight at me.
Some burned with envy, some with caution, some with rivalry.
*I was planning to grab just one capybara and quietly leave for the Information Division test. So could you guys stop with those eyes?*
The urge to shout that out surged all the way to my head, but...
Since I hadn't properly identified the parasitic tentacle yokai living inside Yukio, and every second was precious, I decided to let it go quietly for now.
*Calm down. Find a quiet place, hypnotize, extract the yokai, and then just reject it again.*
The only variable in this sudden extraction operation was someone barging into the supply room and causing all kinds of misunderstandings.
*...The probability is low. By now, other second-years or the office head would be focused on the entrance test instead of Yukio.*
Yeah, this time the variable was perfectly sparse and the plan was perfect.
Once I finished this operation, I'd return to the auditorium, fill out the Information Division application, and take the first step toward the happy ending.
"This way. This supply room is always deserted, so no one comes."
"Come on in. Yukio-senpai."
"Since it's the first time two people are entering, my heart is racing~."
* * *
The old supply room at the very end of the third floor.
It felt like a classroom that hadn't been used for a while.
Inside the open room were a few chairs, someone had dragged in a fridge, and just one old mat that looked perfect for a nap.
"How about it? Even if it's shabby, it's a great space for a nap, isn't it?"
"Yukio-senpai?"
"Just a second. Before we talk, I'll prepare a drink─."
"..."
Do you remember what I said earlier?
*'The probability of someone barging in is probably very low.'*
Of course, the chance was extremely low, but...
I had already experienced the worst variable, "Yukio appearing!" once, so no room for complacency this time.
"Senior, could you look at my phone screen for a moment?"
"Eh? You want me to look at your junior's phone? Suddenly... what..."
Uuuung...
"Ho...?"
Lightning fast.
Rejecting the Extermination Division application was already decided, so without any more talk, I immediately cast the hypnosis and ended the situation quickly.
Not giving anyone a chance to barge in made me move even faster.
Moreover, the tentacle was wriggling on his back, so any kind of yokai, the infection was already well advanced.
"Finish it in two minutes."
Even to save the capybara who was brought to the emergency room, I walked straight toward Yukio with a dreamy face.
*'First, take off the jacket... I need to properly check the wriggling back.'*
Swish... swish...
I pulled down the black jacket she was wearing, revealing a bright white shirt underneath.
Wriggle... wriggle...
Through the white shirt, one familiar tentacle wriggled faintly into my eyes.
"Damn it. It was this guy."
I entered the mouth of the Extermination Division with strong exorcist energy.
I sucked out the personality inside the belly and head, leaving only the swollen belly button and the tentacle yokai, Heso Netsuri, coming out.
It was the first time I played the game in my innocent gamer mindset.
I had sent my favorites on a yokai extermination mission.
They were all sent to a cruel "personality deletion rape ending."
I remembered this guy's appearance perfectly.
*Haa... Why this guy in particular... No, it's better this way?*
Now that I knew the wriggling thing on his back was Heso Netsuri, I let out a heavy sigh, recalling one good piece of news and one bad piece of news.
*'What's the good news? That Yukio didn't know she was infected with Heso Netsuri but I had hypnotized her?'*
Heso Netsuri, a parasitic tentacle yokai, had a special ability: it made the host doubt they were infected.
It was so hard to detect the infection that it wouldn't even believe you if you told it to get treatment. How damn difficult a target this was.
If I had just told the truth that a tentacle was sticking out on her back without hypnosis, she would have answered something like:
*Uh... junior, why were you staring so intently at my back? It's kind of uncomfortable even for me~.*
And kicked me out immediately, leading to the personality deletion ending as a capybara.
I was certain of that.
*'Then what's the bad news here.'*
It was that there was only one way to defeat this yokai.
And it was incredibly easy.
What? Why is that bad news?
Just listen. I'll say two sentences.
Think about why this is bad news.
1. Heso Netsuri is parasitizing Yukio's body. Its weakness is physical impact.
2. The yokai's main body is located in the lower belly, not the host's brain.
Yes. From now on, I had to strike the lower belly of this capybara to extract Heso Netsuri's core.
* * *
"Okay, Yukio-senpai. Stand up from there."
"I get... it..."
"Stand there and show me your lower belly."
"I will... do that..."
"Good. I'll hit you gently, so relax. Got it?"
"I got it... well..."
If I closed my eyes and just listened, it looked like some otaku senior's hypnotic rape pancake treatment, but this was a treatment to save the capybara. It was absolutely not rape, so don't misunderstand.
*'No need to hit hard. Just one solid hit. Close your eyes, punch your lower belly.'*
Heso Netsuri's core was very fragile because it had parasitized an important organ in her lower belly.
It would be like a weak pang, not a heavy boom!!
One hit and it would be simple.
"Here it comes, senpai. Don't tense your lower belly!!"
"Hitting... me? My lower belly...?"
"All for senpai's sake. Understand?"
With all preparations complete, I...
After exchanging a strange conversation that made me wonder who the villain was...
I swung my fist without hesitation at Yukio's slightly protruding, bright white lower belly right in front of me─.
Crunch!!
"Eh? What kind of classroom is this?"
"It's too complicated outside, so let's wait here in the supply room."
The old supply room door opened.
The new students who liked Yukio a lot came in.
Boom!!
"Kyaa─!?"
But my fist, already swung once, couldn't stop.
Yukio, hit square in the lower belly by a much stronger fist than I thought, let out a lewd moan and clutched her lower belly, legs slightly trembling as she sat down right there.
All the new students who witnessed the scene exactly "a first-year male new student knocking out the second-year ace in one hit" were shocked.
"Y-Yukio-senpai lost to a first-year?!"
It seemed I had accidentally caused the worst misunderstanding that would ruin my plan.
*Instead of pancake training, damn it...!!*