Chapter 104.4

Chapter 104.4

[Part 4/4]

"What's the problem? If there's anything I can do, I'll assist within my capabilities..."

Botan didn't respond to my suggestion. She stared at me with a complex expression that mingled exasperation, scorn, and anger... Before she could say anything, she sensed a presence. I also noticed the presence a moment later.

"Oh, there you are, Tomobe-kun! I'm glad I found you! I wanted to talk to you for a bit..."

Emerging from the foliage, a black-haired girl with a boyish appearance appeared. It seemed she had something to discuss. Hotoya Tamaki, upon spotting me, approached with an unconstrained smile... but froze when she saw the girl in the Onikuma's arms.

"Huh, a youkai? But..."

"Yun-shoku from Onitsuki. Excuse me for now."

Botan scoffed, glancing briefly at Tamaki's perplexed expression. She then gave an order to the onikuma and turned on her heel. Through her actions and words, she seemed to behave as one of the exorcists participating in this extermination mission. It appeared she wanted me to cover for her.

"...Yes! Please take care."

I followed Botan's scheme, bowing and lowering my head respectfully. Then I immediately headed toward Tamaki.

"Miss Tamaki, my apologies. Do you have something you need to discuss?"

"Ah, um... well, I guess I'm intruding?"

Tamaki, confused by my apology, asked with an awkward expression.

"No, not at all. But before that, what is your request or matter that you wanted to discuss?"

I desperately tried to maintain a calm facade and divert the conversation to conceal the situation. But then, at that moment, I finally noticed the anomaly. It all made sense now. The heavy and suffocating atmosphere that had been lingering in the air was not just a mere feeling. There was indeed a thin aura of youkai miasma permeating the area, seeping up from the ground... right beneath our feet.

"Miss Tamaki...!?"

I witnessed numerous vines rising up from the ground, like serpents, attacking Tamaki from behind.

"Huh...?"

Tamaki turned around in response to my shout, but it was too late. Acting on instinct, I swiftly threw my Teguruma, using it as a whip to sweep the thick, tentacle-like vines away. The sharp silver threads of Tsuchigumo extending from the Teguruma sliced through the bundled tentacles, as if cutting through tofu.

...However, countless more vines continued to advance from behind.

"What... is this!? Oh no...!!"

Tamaki hastily unsheathed her sword and began cutting down the approaching vines one by one. But as soon as she severed the third vine, the fourth one coiled around her sword, and the fifth one entangled her wrist, pulling her towards it.

"You think I'll let you...!!"

I swung the spear I had with me. It cleaved through the vine that had wrapped around Tamaki's wrist, and then I swiftly spun around, mowing down the following vines.

'Roarrrr!!'

At the roar, I turned around. I saw countless vines closing in on Botan and the others. Onikuma defended Botan, swiping at the onslaught of vines with its sharp claws. Botan herself fought back by casting curses.

I couldn't provide assistance. So, the second and third waves were already closing in.

'Σ(*゚Д゚*) It's coming, Papa!!'

...

...

...

"Ugh...?"

After an unknown amount of time had passed, I became aware of my consciousness resurfacing, accompanied by a pounding headache and a profound sense of fatigue. In a state of disarray, with my thoughts in turmoil and my vision blurred, I instinctively raised my upper body, supporting myself up with the spear. Despite feeling dizzy, I managed to stand up and cautiously surveyed my surroundings.

"What... is this?"

What appeared in my field of vision was an endlessly long corridor divided by sliding doors. The space was strangely bright despite the absence of light. The corridor extended forward and branched off to the left and right, forming a T-shape, with no end in sight.

"The Onitsuki house? No, that's not it. What in the world is this...!?"

I desperately tried to reason through my clouded consciousness, attempting to unravel the enigmatic nature of this space. Then, almost instinctively, I turned to look at the wall behind me and discovered the presence of two rows of text inscribed upon it.

[Welcome, my honored guest, to my splendid home!!]

"...Huh?"

Written on the wall was a messy, blood-like text, as if scribbled by a child. Reading the first sentence, I was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend. But then, it all came back to me. My knowledge of the original work from my previous life, my recent memories.

And I understood. I realized that I was trapped in the worst possible scenario of a shitty game, an outrageously unfair game of no escape.

[Take your time and enjoy yourself to the fullest! Until your life comes to an end! ( ゚∀.)]

Almost unconsciously, I read the second sentence. Suddenly, loud music began playing throughout the room. Joyful, delightfully twisted music resounded, filling the air.

"Ugh...!?"

...At that moment, I instinctively turned around and swiftly severed the neck of the Rokurokubi that had been slowly approaching from behind with my spear. Its grinning head bounced off the corridor, rolling away.

That was the signal. The command. The curtain had risen, and the performance had begun.

The sliding doors on both sides of the corridor swung open one after another, and they poured out. Kappa, Jinmenken (human-faced dog), Nakime, Teketeke, Kasa-obake, Kejoro, Ittan-momen—creatures of the bizarre and supernatural, all looking at me.

And they laughed. They sneered. They mocked the pitiful prey, the sacrifice.

I was familiar with this sight. Specifically from the manga adaptation and video sharing sites.

"Wha...!? This isn't a joke about some Kaigai Niki (Overseas brother)!!"

Momentarily overwhelmed, I quickly made a decision. I exerted all my strength and sprinted towards the corridor ahead, where the monsters were absent. Countless footsteps chased after me from behind. I had no time to look back. Even in the fan films of overseas brother, the people who stopped were usually caught up and killed.

"Damn it, this can't be a joke...!!?"

The game of unimaginable cruelty, the spiral labyrinth of eternal damnation, began—a game of life or death.

Fan art:

Title: Depressed Sub Characters with Japanese-style Setting 2

URL: here