Question: What happened to Chapter 33?
Answer: It’s coming next.
The release order—Chapter 32, then 33.5, then 33—might seem a bit odd, but please consider it a deliberate narrative choice. Chronologically, the sequence is: Chapter 32 → Chapter 33 → Chapter 33.5.
Question: Who is Jiro?
Answer: That’s Yujiro Kijima. The person addressing him is his grandfather—a man who, for lack of a better term, is quite well-versed in all things internet-related.
“It’s a joke, right? You’re just messing with me, Tokita-san. Tell me you’re just pulling my leg!”
Ayano’s voice trembled. Coming through the phone was the voice of the butler who had served the Magetsu family for generations.
“…Yoshito-sama and Shizuku-san engaged Kaminagi Reona in combat at the Uryuyama Cemetery. Afterward, they were attacked by an unidentified assailant and have since gone missing.”
The old butler repeated the report in a measured tone, as though trying to make the terrible news sink in.
“No. That’s a lie. It’s impossible. I won’t accept it. …There’s no way my Yoshito-kun could lose to anyone. He’s there with you right now, isn’t he? I told him he could drag me around as much as he wanted, so he’s just playing a little prank on me, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”
Ayano’s questions were desperate, almost pleading. But the old butler offered no answer. Only silence came through the receiver. Unable to bear it any longer, Ayano abruptly ended the call and collapsed onto her bed with a soft poof.
“…Ayano.”
They were in Ayano’s room at the Magetsu family estate. She wasn’t alone. Mia had heard the report as well.
“Let’s calm down first, okay? My brother is only human, after all. Even he can make mistakes sometimes.”
Unlike Ayano, who was consumed by panic, Mia remained remarkably composed.
“That’s impossible. Yoshito-kun—the person who killed me—could never lose to a mere human. Something must have gone wrong.”
“It’s possible he hasn’t lost at all. Maybe he’s just hiding somewhere as part of a plan. Isn’t that the kind of thing he’d do to keep you on your toes?”
“…You think so?”
“Maybe he’s been seriously injured and can’t move, but even so, Oniisan will definitely be fine.”
Mia declared it with unwavering conviction. This wasn’t blind faith without any basis. It was because of their previous lives. Back then, Yoshito had brought both the Demon Lord’s army and the sinister cult that had been plotting behind the scenes to the brink of annihilation, almost entirely on his own.
Mia knew that firsthand. And that was precisely why she was so certain.
“First, let’s calm down and go over everything that’s happened so far, one more time.”
Mia gently stroked Ayano’s head, trying to soothe her. As she continued, a little color gradually returned to Ayano’s face.
“Thanks, Mia-chan. I think I’m starting to calm down a bit… Sorry for losing my composure.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Mia flashed her a cheerful smile.
“…!”
Perhaps embarrassed, Ayano abruptly turned her face away with a little huff. The tips of both her ears had turned a faint shade of red.
Mia failed to notice and continued speaking.
“Let’s start with what happened at the Tsuchiyama Service Area.”
At that point, Yoshito Kirasawa had encountered Reona Kaminagi and predicted that an incident would occur in Kyoto, with Reona somehow involved. He had then contacted an independent exorcist named Hatoba to arrange for Reona’s capture.
Meanwhile, Reona had been cooperating with the Takasu faction. Her original mission had been to kidnap Shizuku Aitori. However, after running into Yoshito, she became convinced that the plan was doomed to fail. So she stole the dried squid and switched to a new strategy: using it as a means to eliminate Yoshito.
“From an outsider’s perspective, this is just a completely incomprehensible battle of predicting each other’s moves.”
Mia muttered in exasperation.
“I knew Oniisan had incredibly sharp instincts, but I wonder if this Kaminagi Reona person is the same kind of person.”
“…They say having something in common can spark a romance, but if two people have too much in common, the relationship won’t last.”
“Ayano, what does that have to do with anything right now?”
Mia let out a small sigh and gently chided Ayano before bringing the conversation back on track.
“In other words, the battle between Oniisan and Reona Kaminagi is like a showdown between two prophets. It’s a battle of wits that only the people involved can understand. …Ayano, is this how you expected things to turn out?”
“No. All I knew was that the Takasu faction might try something against Shizuku-nee.”
Ayano had intended to use the situation to give Shizuku some real combat experience. As long as Yoshito was accompanying her, there was practically no chance of anything going wrong. At least, that was what Ayano had believed. Yet here they were.
“Reona Kaminagi had been missing ever since my kidnapping incident. I never imagined she’d turn up in Kyoto…”
Ayano sighed, her expression growing terribly gloomy.
Seeing her face, Mia went—
Poff, poff, poff, poff!
“Wah?! W-What are you doing?!”
“Uh, I thought maybe touching something soft would cheer you up a little.”
Mia had grabbed an octopus plushie that had been lying on the bed and was rhythmically smacking Ayano’s cheeks with its head. It was an act that showed absolutely no fear of the gods.
“…Mia-chan, you’re starting to act a lot like Yoshito-kun.”
“Am I?”
Mia’s expression softened, and she looked rather pleased by the comparison.
“Well, we’ve been siblings for five years. I guess that’s bound to happen.”
“Then, if Yoshito-kun ever rejects me, maybe I’ll just marry you instead, Mia-chan.”
Perhaps her spirits had finally started to lift a little. Ayano leaned closer with a teasing smile.
Mia replied without missing a beat.
“Sorry, Ayano. I don’t think I can handle your tentacle fetish.”
“It’s not a fetish! I mean, the tentacles are practically my reason for existing! Ah—! I don’t mean it in a weird way, so please don’t move farther away from me!”
＊ ＊ ＊
The two girls continued their conversation, occasionally wandering off on tangents along the way.
“So, in the end, Oniisan defeated Reona Kaminagi at a place called Uryuyama Cemetery… right?”
“Yeah. But apparently, someone interfered. By the time anyone realized what was happening, Yoshito-kun, Shizuku-nee, and Reona Kaminagi had all disappeared. The freelancers are investigating what happened right now.”
“I see…”
Mia fell into thought, humming softly to herself.
“What happened to the Takasu faction members who were knocked unconscious?”
“Tokita-san is tortu—interrogating them.”
“Did you almost say torturing just now?”
“It’s dorya-do, Mia-chan.”
“…What?”
“Dryad, tree spirit, just your imagination. Anyway, I suppose all we can do for now is wait for information.”
As Ayano spoke, she had finally regained her usual composure.
“We should inform Grandpa Sogen about the Takasu faction, too. We’ll probably have all sorts of negotiations to deal with… Is there anything else we should be doing?”
“What if we went to Kyoto ourselves?”
“I still haven’t fully recovered my former powers, and your mana reserves aren’t particularly high either, Mia-chan. I think we’d better not.”
“Got it. Then we’ll stay on standby here in Magetsu City. By the way, do we have a plan in case Brother doesn’t come back by the end of today? We’d have to come up with excuses for my dad and mom, not to mention the kindergarten and everyone else…”
“That’s a good point. In that case, leave it to me. …Here goes!”
At Ayano’s spirited declaration, a black vortex opened at their feet. Countless vines burst forth from within, twisting and intertwining until they gradually took on a human shape.
“There! All done. It’s a fake Yoshito-kun!”
“Uhm…. Doesn’t he look a little weaker than the real him?”
“Really? I think he looks just like him.”
“No, I mean, he needs to have a bit more of a wild, rugged vibe—”
Taking Mia’s suggestion to heart, the fake Yoshito’s appearance shifted ever so slightly, giving him a more untamed air.
“Ehh, no, not like that. More like… refined and elegant!”
“His eyes are too small.”
“And his front teeth should be dazzlingly white—”
“His profile needs to be sharper, too…”
On and on they went. Chattering away, the two of them spent thirty minutes discussing the finer details. And at last, what they produced was—
“There! We did it, Mia-chan!”
“Yeah! He looks exactly like Oniisan!”
A fake Yoshito who was unmistakably more handsome than the real thing.
After that, the two girls also gave him some pointers on how to speak and behave. However, their creation was practically overflowing with the romantic fantasies of girls in love. As a result, the fake Yoshito ended up acting like the male lead in a shoujo manga.
His victims were primarily female university students studying the humanities who were doing their teaching practicum at the kindergarten. Or, alternatively, the shy girls from the middle and high school divisions of Magetsu Academy who had come to volunteer.
And so, without Yoshito Kirasawa having the slightest idea, his kindergarten life was about to plunge into crisis.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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