CH 85.1

In the underground basement cell, a young boy was cruelly abandoned.

Wrapped in straw matting, he was tortured, kicked, beaten, and drenched with cold water from head to toe by the jealous and angry mob, who had grown tired of their punishment. The young boy who had endured harsh punishment and vigilante justice was already barely conscious and on the verge of death.

He does not know whether he is alive or dead. His limbs were numb, but he could vaguely feel the dull pain.

As he felt so, he heard the footsteps going down the stairs, like a distant echo but also like it was right next to him. However, his thoughts were muddled and he couldn't recognize it clearly.

Still, he notices a light approaching from behind the bars. He gazed at it with a blank stare. Two figures stop in front of the bars.

"Yun-shoku, this is the one," says the first figure.

"What a pitiful sight," remarks the second figure with a hint of disdain. "He looks like nothing more than a rag. Is he all right? He's no use to us if he's crippled."

"That's fine," replies the third figure, their voice calculating. "I was ordered to take him regardless. After all, what he did was what he did. It's an opportunity for him to repay his debt."

In a way, it was a type of mercy. Normally, it would not be surprising if the punishment could have amounted to nothing less than a death sentence.

At the same time, it was in effect a death sentence. Considering the average life expectancy of the servants, there was no chance that this boy would live out his days. On the contrary, it was quite possible that he would be eaten alive in horror and pain on his first mission.

The prison guard's laughter, as well as the silent company he kept, were both the result of this. Cowering his shoulders, the prison guard puts his hand on the padlock. He removed the lock with a key he had taken out of his pocket.

Now, one person stepped into the cell. The person gazed down at the young boy. The boy looks up at the person, and they look at each other.

"I have been ordered to take care of you," the person said, their voice gentle but firm. "It seems that I am to be your guardian from now on."

The boy looked confused. "Huh? Ah..."

Before he could comprehend the meaning of the words, the young boy was hugged by the person. The arms were both firm and soft. The long black hair brushed the boy's face, and a faint sweet scent tickled his nostrils.

The boy instinctively felt relief and a little embarrassment at the sensation. At the same time, his deepest rationality scoffed at him. He scoffs at himself for being so carefree in this situation. But... still, surely, helplessly, the boy felt relieved. The presence that rescued him. It was like a spider's thread in hell.

"Let's get you patched up first. I'm short-handed here. Can you hold on a little longer?" The voice was gentle and reassuring, but also carried a sense of urgency.

Reacting to such a voice, the boy absent-mindedly looked up at the person holding himself. And then...

'Hehehe, there is no need to fear. Even if you were to lose everything that makes you, you still have me, my adorable child?'

Just in front of his eyes, a green-haired fallen goddess with an evil smile full of good intentions was floating.

* * *

"Aah...!?" I let out a bloodcurdling scream, my voice echoing through the room. My body was drenched in sweat, and I was panting heavily, my heart pounding in my chest. The terror that had consumed me moments ago still lingered, causing me to tremble uncontrollably.

"Haa... haa... haah... what was that...a dream?" My voice was hoarse as I spoke, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. I was trying to make sense of what had just happened, but the memory was slipping away, leaving me feeling confused and disoriented.

"Da*n it, I'm getting like this all the time these days. As far as I'm concerned, I can't sleep properly..." I spat out the words, frustration clear in my voice. It seemed like I was having trouble sleeping lately, and the lack of rest was starting to take a toll on me. It is nerve-wracking.

However, my complaints and frustrations don't last long. That's because just after that, memories from before I lost consciousness overflowed from my mind all at once...

"That's right, Iruka and the others...? Ugh!!?"

I groaned in pain, while quickly sitting up and collapsing again. I realized that my entire body ached, probably due to the after-effects of becoming a youkai. But it wasn't just the muscle pain, as my muscles themselves felt stiff.

"It hurts...!? D*mn it, how long was I unconscious for? Where am I?"

As I grimaced and muttered these words, my attention was finally drawn to the surrounding scenery, leaving me feeling perplexed.

I was lying on a cushion on the tatami mat. As I looked around, I first noticed the sliding doors made of paper, then the various furnishings such as a folding screen, an oil-free lampstand, a traditional comb chest, a mirror stand, a two-level shelf, and an empty bookstand.

"P-Princess...? No, this is...." stuttered and confused, I muttered.

For an instant, I thought I was in Gorilla-sama's room, but soon noticed that the patterns on the folding screens and the furnishings were different from her. Upon closer examination of the furnishings' decorations, I realized they were quite plain. So I abandon the conjecture that this was Gorilla-sama's room. But then...

"Huh...?"

As my gaze shifted, I noticed a shadow in the distance. Behind the portable folding screen which divided the room, I could see the silhouette of a person.

It was a slender figure with not much flesh on its bones, but with long hair, clearly a female. She was probably in the process of changing her clothes, and she stopped moving in response to the sound of my groaning. There followed a brief silence, and the next moment, the woman peered out from behind the folding screen. She was a woman with glossy black hair and ruby-like eyes.

"Princess Hina...?"

Onitsuki Hina, the eldest princess of the Onitsuki family, peeked her head out from behind the portable folding screen and stared at me. Then she spoke.

"You woke up at just the right time. You've been bedridden for seven days, so I was wondering how to wake you up."

She said this matter-of-factly. I was taken aback by her attitude, but immediately tried to raise my voice in response to the various questions that arose... and quickly lowered my head.

Naturally, what I did was natural. It was simply a matter of rudeness, but more than that, she also approached me from behind the portable folding screen. Additionally, she was dressed only with her upper half of her body wrapped in a kimono.

"That's enough of that. Raise your face."

"No, but..."

"Look me in the eye."

I couldn't help but flinch as Hina stopped in front of me and brazenly grabbed my chin to make me meet her gaze.

"...!"

Up close, Hina's appearance was dignified and beautiful enough to pass as that of a pretty man, but the whiteness of her exposed skin and the slight bulge that can be seen under her sweet wisp of hair make me realize that the person in front of me is indeed a woman. My eyes drifted downward to her small cleavage, but I quickly averted them.

"Princess Hina, it's not appropriate to come here dressed like that..."

"Hmm?"

I offer fearfully. Hina's eyes widened for a moment, then she looked at herself and chuckled softly before speaking to me.

"You're in no position to say that, are you? Don't you realize how you look right now?"

"Yes?"

Her words make me pause for a moment, and then I turn my gaze to my body. Then I realize that I am literally naked, completely naked.

I didn't even put on underwear.

"Uh, this is rude of me...!?"

I quickly pulled the blankets over my lower body. It was only after doing so that I realized the sheets were not mine, but rather someone else's belongings. I felt flustered and embarrassed.

"Hmm, No need to panic. ...We used to take baths together all the time."

"Huh...?"

I'm taken aback by Hina's words, which she spins with a loose-lipped smile. She didn't care about my reaction and continued speaking.

"Your clothes are there. You can change later."

Still dumbfounded, I followed Hina's gaze to a corner of the room where a black outfit and a Hannya mask were neatly folded.