Instant Death - Book 3: Chapter 17: I, have a methodical personality which likes to keep things tidy and in order.

“Yes, I am definitely Hanakawa, and I remember Sage-sama well. Then, I’m being impolite now!” (Hanakawa)

She came to a bar where no one else was, found Hanakawa, and was talking to him. There wasn’t much meaning in deceiving her.

So, Hanakawa answered for now, and bet on the possibility that she saw him by chance and spoke to him.

“Oh, where are you going?” (Shion)

But, it seemed that he’d lost the bet. As he thought, she expressly came all the way here with a goal—Hanakawa.

“Let’s see. We’re, um, investigating about hell beforehand. Look, the shop’s in such a state, so how about we talk in another sho——” (Hanakawa)

“Aah. If it’s like that, then I’ll tell you. If it’s just asking about that, I think it’s possible for me to answer.” (Shion)

Saying so, Shion walked briskly in the store’s interior which held no people, and involuntarily sat down at a random table. She probably wasn’t even thinking things like ‘Hanakawa will run away’.

“We can escape with a dash in this gap——” (Hanakawa)

“Fool. Stop.” (Lute)

‘Or if we go outside and slip into the crowd of people’. Hanakawa thought that, but Lute wasn’t optimistic.

“It won’t be good if we harm that sort of humorous mood. We have no choice but to take a seat for now.” (Lute)

Lute’s expression was stiffening as he said so.

“……perhaps, you can’t win?” (Hanakawa)

“That’s right.” (Lute)

“Eeeeh? Despite calling yourself things like a Devil’s kin and looking proud of it, you cannot win against one woman like thisss?” (Hanakawa)

“Why are you agitating me even in a scene like this……I’m not overestimating myself. The case of the existence is too different; nothing can be done.” (Lute)

“What!? Th-, then hasn’t my plan of directing the sage Shion-sama VS the eloquent Devil’s Kin Lute-dono been ruined!” (Hanakawa)

“You……what are you doing, trying to drag me in nonchalantly. I have no connection at all, you know?” (Lute)

“Um, your sympathy did not well up? Is it not like『Dammiiiit! I’ve made a blunder! I’ll protect you like this somehow……live on……』!?” (Hanakawa)

“Well. My objective is to revive the younger sister god, and to defeat my Lord’s enemy. I don’t have the time to be concerned with extraneous things.” (Lute)

“Uuuu……b-, but, it’s only ‘sage-sama came to meet us’, so maybe it’s not something to be so pessimistic about……” (Hanakawa)

But, Hanakawa remembered that Shion killed the bus driver without a big significance.

In other words, what touched her imperial wrath wasn’t known at all. Even just having a conversation with Shion was dangerous.

So, making Shion wait any longer than this wasn’t a good plan. Hanakawa reluctantly sat at the table where Shion was.

He timidly started at Shion. She was smiling, but he didn’t know anything like her true feelings.

While thinking about what he should do, Lute sat next to Hanakawa.

“Don’t misunderstand. When I was thinking ‘you’re my friend’, I just thought ‘there was a possibility I’d be attacked even if I tried to run away.” (Lute)

“Is this the thing called ‘tsundere’! Even if you don’t have a penis now, it’s not OK at all!” (Hanakawa)

Hanakawa’s eyes brightened, and he looked at Lute.

“If you say unnecessary things, I’ll really go alone, though?” (Lute)

“I’m seriously sorry. Thank you very much.” (Hanakawa)

He’d be troubled if he was left alone here, so Hanakawa thanked him a lot.

“Um, the conceited me is checking because I can’t arbitrarily assume it, but p-, perhaps, you came to meet me or something like that?” (Hanakawa)

Shion seemed to be waiting, so Hanakawa spoke.

“That’s right. I came to meet Hanakawa-san because I wanted to ask about Yogiri Takatou-san.” (Shion)

That said, Hanakawa started talking about Yogiri on the spot.

The ability he witnessed, the story he heard from the person himself, the events which probably happened at the tower. He spat out everything he found out at once without hiding anything.

“I see. ‘Perceiving killing intent’ is something I’m hearing for the first time.” (Shion)

“Hey. What do you plan to do to Yogiri Takatou?” (Lute)

Lute asked.

Yogiri Takatou was also a target for him. The sage’s movements was probably a part he worried about.

“Now. What will be done is troublesome. I think that those who were dealt with quickly can’t be future problems and they can seemingly be used in various ways.” (Shion)

“You don’t have to do anything. I’ll kill Yogiri Takatou.” (Lute)

“Hey! Lute-dono! A thing like that to a sage is!” (Hanakawa)

“Even if you say so. I cannot even imagine what an underling of the Devil—who was killed by Takatou-san—can do.” (Shion)

Shion wasn’t agitating him, it was an attitude of just pure wonder.

“What!” (Lute)

Lute stood up.

“A, aaaah, unexpectedly, the Kin VS the sage will be realized, but if it’s done in such a place then I’ll also get dragged into it! So, peacefully! Continue peacefully!” (Hanakawa)

“Aah. I won’t do such a pointless thing.” (Shion)

However, Shion didn’t seem willing to do it. Hanakawa tried to feel relieved, and solidified there.

Shion’s right hand was turned towards Hanakawa.

“Eh, um, this is?” (Hanakawa)

“I heard the story from start to finish, and wondered if Hanakawa-san had no use anymore.” (Shion)

“Um, I’m finding it difficult to understand, but even if I have no uses, you don’t need to kill me? Look, I’m a sage candidate.” (Hanakawa)

“But you were moving independently, and you don’t feel like becoming a sage, right? I, have a methodical personality which likes to keep things tidy and in order. I feel stress at unneeded things remaining.” (Shion)

Shion smiled sweetly.

“Haha~. If you limit dealing with unneeded things quickly, it’s something called ‘detachment’……nu!” (Hanakawa)

Shion’s right hand shone.

Hanakawa thought ‘I died’ and closed his eyes.

Bechari.

However, what he felt was neither hell fire heat, nor pain like his body was being torn apart.

It was something warm and it was slimy.

Hanakawa opened his eyes timidly. His entire body was covered in fresh cream.

“What is it all of a sudden, you!” (Lute)

Lute revealed his anger. It seemed that Lute was defending Hanakawa.

“Indeed, it’s interesting. I thought ‘if it’s just Hanakawa-san, then I should burn him with a suitable heat ray’, but I didn’t think it would change into something like fresh cream.² But well, if you know that th——” (Shion)

“Wa-, wait a moment please! Hell! Yes, it was a conversation of ‘you were teaching us about hell’!” (Hanakawa)

“Aah! I completely forgot!” (Shion)

Shion’s face was one of staring in puzzlement. It seemed she had really forgotten.

“So, what would you like to hear?” (Shion)

“Ahh, that’s right, things like where the entrance of hell is, it’s things of such a degree.” (Hanakawa)

Perhaps he should have delayed the conversation a bit more, but Hanakawa, who was just exposed to a crisis of his life, didn’t have that much composure. All he could do was just keep talking like this.

“If it’s inside of this city, I think you’ll happen to catch sight of entrances frequently. Please try to buy a ticket at a bar.” (Shion)

“What?” (Hanakawa)

A ticket. Hanakawa was puzzled at the entrance of a word he’d never thought he’d hear.

“Hell has restricted entry. As bars are ticket windows, they sell entry tickets so please try to purchase the appropriate one.” (Shion)

It appeared that there were numerous entrances to hell, and each seemed to have its own characteristics. The prices of the tickets were also varied.

Perhaps Shion finished the story with that, as she stood up.

“Ah, um, I may be stirring up a hornets nest, but am I okay?” (Hanakawa)

That Hanakawa dared to ask something he didn’t need to ask, may be his character.

‘That’s right. Expressly informing you about hell and killing you, there’s no worth in informing you.” (Shion)

Saying so, Shion left.

If trying to kill him was a whim, it seemed that not killing him was a whim as well.

Lute *thud* sat down on the chair. He didn’t have even a small amount of composure on that face, and it looked like his cold sweats didn’t stop.

“Dammmiiiit! What is that guy! She’s too unreasonable, I don’t know what she’s thinking about at all!” (Lute)

“Uuu……someone like me is covered in fresh cream, what the heck is enjoyable about it……” (Hanakawa)

Hanakawa sighed at something not worth worrying about.

***

The capture of hell was done by groups of sage candidates in shifts throughout the day.

The capture party advanced during the day, and exterminating the surrounding monsters. At night, the defense party was in charge of continuing to secure the base made inside hell.

Tomochika was engaging in combat with monsters in group one, which was the capture party.

Yogiri spent most of his time absent-mindedly at the mansion. He was just requested to participate when bug killing was needed occasionally.

After the attack team returns above ground they had free time, and were doing whatever they liked.

So, when it was night, Yogiri and others decided to gather to understand the current situation. The place was the hotel room they had secured before meeting their classmates.

Who gathered were the four who knew about Yogiri’s ability: Yogiri, Tomochika, Ryouko, and Carol, but it seemed questionable rumors were also being made.

“Takatou-kun, what are you doing during the day?” (Tomochika)

“Hmm? There’s not really anything to do, so I play games and read books.” (Yogiri)

“Uu……what’s this feeling like I’m not fully satisfied……even though I’ve been killing and crushing demons brutally……” (Tomochika)

Despite Tomochika fighting at the foremost line, she didn’t really grasp that Yogiri was taking the gentle slope.

“No, Takatou-kun not doing anything is the best, yeah! Please try your best to not be doing anything in this situation continuously as you are now!” (Ryouko)

“Ninomiya-san, don’t recommend such things like Pooh-san. What will he do from now on if he leaves society?” (Tomochika)

“Hahaha~! Isn’t something like leaving society forced already~?” (Carol)

As Carol said, Tomochika and others had already been thrown out of this parallel world’s society. Like when they were under the protection of adults in Japan, it was a situation where they couldn’t be carefree.

“I will look after you! Takatou-kun doesn’t need to do anything! I’ll prepare all the necessities in life and prepare all of the environment so you don’t have to do anything!” (Ryouko)

“Ninomiya-san, what are you saying!?” (Tomochika)

“Then, I’ll be a himo, right? As expected, that’s rejected.” (Yogiri)

Even to Yogiri, Ryouko’s energy drew back some, and Tomochika felt a little relieved. She thought if it was Yogiri, it was difficult to say things like ‘it’s easy if I don’t have to do anything’.

‘So, what about the capture of hell?” (Yogiri)

“Currently we are at the edge of the fifth layer, so tomorrow will be from the sixth layer.” (Ryouko)

For the sage candidates, capturing hell wasn’t all that difficult.

Basically, they just advanced inside towards the center.

They grasped the path with things like Munakata’s x-ray ability, and moved to the edge of the layer with the shortest path.

First, with the material they brought there, they made a base. Even things at the level of shacks weren’t things that amateurs could make easily, but what was there were sage candidates with convenient abilities. The person who had the skill carpenter made them just like that with the construction skill.

And, what supported their rush was the transporter class. There was a skill in the class called door-to-door, which made it possible to directly connect a door to a building’s door and transfer spaces.

If they had these two classes, the need to search for the entrance and exit to the next layers disappeared.

The buildings they made could only strengthened and dropped from the edge of the layer. There was risk when moving through the layer for the first time, but by searching for the entrance and exit honest to a fault, they couldn’t do things like go to the next layer no matter how much time passed.

Although they could shorten their movements between layers with this method, that it was crawling with monster didn’t change. The monsters became stronger the lower the layer they went to was, and their capture speed was slowing down.

“It’ll be very soon if the Devil is in the seventh layer, but is it such a simple thing?” (Yogiri)

“Hmm, but the deadline of one month said at first is soon, so it’ll be just barely~.” (Carol)

Yogiri was doubtful, but Carol seemed to be optimistic.

“Even if we fail, if that ‘Shion’ guy appears before us, it’s fine with that.” (Yogiri)

If she appeared, it would be when they reached the deadline. Yogiri appeared to be thinking that.

“I don’t know~. She said something like ‘if you fail, you’ll become livestock which has their magical power squeezed out’, but I wonder if she’ll do such a troubling thing~.” (Carol)

Carol said that, but Tomochika thought them being left alone even if the deadline passed was looking at it too optimistically.

“And, the matter of an eroge person dying?” (Yogiri)

“Yes. Ushio-san being killed seems to be true. Munakata-san and Yatate-san’s testimonies were unclear, but from the testimonies of the customers in the same bar, it seems there’s hardly a mistake. And, Munakata-san and Yatate-san said that Shinozaki-san is the culprit. She also declared ‘I’ll kill one person at a time for revenge’.” (Ryouko)

Ryouko reported.

Ushio’s death was taken seriously among their classmates. It was because, until now, there hadn’t been any casualties appear among those who moved together.

“Eh? But, Shinozaki-san was dead, wasn’t she?” (Tomochika)

Ayaka Shinozaki was one of the four people left on the bus.

The one who received the dragon’s attack first was her, and a large hole was opened up in her chest.

It wasn’t that Tomochika confirmed her death, but she simply couldn’t imagine that she could live with that.

“She was dead.” (Yogiri)

Yogiri had the two people who had collapsed inside the bus sit in the seats. He could probably say it with more confidence than Tomochika.

Then, what kind of thing was it?

Tomochika tried to think about it, but she didn’t understand it in the slightest.