Chapter 138: The Meeting

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Leaving the dessert shop, the setting sun from earlier was nowhere to be seen. The night sky was splattered with ink, frolicking.

Itomi Sayaka, using the excuse of passing a message to her sister, walked to the side with Minamoto Kiyomoto and spoke to him alone for a while.

She quietly told Minamoto Kiyomoto the address where Group Nine was staying, hoping he could go there tonight.

“They are very concerned about you. Before they go back to Tokyo, they want to see you no matter what,” Itomi Sayaka said.

“Just tell them I died from my injuries.”

“…Are you joking?”

“Mhm,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded.

In the night wind, a couple walked past, clinging tightly to each other. It was hard to tell if it was because winter was coming, or if they were in the midst of a passionate love affair.

Minamoto Kiyomoto, while thinking about when he would be able to walk like this with Kamibayashi Miko and Himegami Izayoi, watched them go, and said:
“I’ll go. The identity of Turdidae might be able to help you someday. Besides, I still haven’t gotten my hands on the Eight Gods of Thunder.”

Itomi Sayaka stared at Minamoto Kiyomoto for two seconds, then her lips curled up into an elegant smile.

“Is it okay to be so leisurely? If you can’t destroy the Shinto sect within a year, you’ll be laughed at by the whole world.”

“I forgot,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped admiring the night view. He paused for a moment as if feeling something.

“The pressure is on,” he confirmed. “Doing this is indeed the right thing.”

Before they parted, Itomi Sayaka remembered something.

“What’s this about a child that Izayoi mentioned?” she asked, puzzled.

Speaking of this, Minamoto Kiyomoto transformed from a spirited and handsome warrior into a melancholic and beautiful young man.

“It’s nothing. A little palm-reading game. There’s nothing, not even a tiny bit, that’s trustworthy.”

“Mmm—, really?” Itomi Sayaka’s voice was full of amusement.

She spread her fair hand, “Just treat it as a game. Take a look for me. Maybe it really is your child.”

“…Are you making fun of me?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her.

“Mhm.”

“Goodbye,” Minamoto Kiyomoto turned and walked away.

“Younger ones are indeed cute,” Itomi Sayaka laughed happily.

After Minamoto Kiyomoto disappeared through the traffic light, she raised her hand, stared at her palm for a while, then put her hand in her coat pocket.

She tucked her chin into her collar and walked alone in the night wind.

◇

Rabbit, Yuka, and the others were staying at an inn called “Shikisou.”

In a large Japanese-style suite.

“To actually say he’ll destroy us within a year, damn it!” Fatty bit his finger, both angry and scared.

Horse Face snorted coldly, “I don’t believe it. The Shinto sect has existed for so many years. What is he.”

“Whether he can do it or not, everyone has to be careful for the next year,” Monkey said, holding a cigarette in one hand and an ashtray in the other.

There were already several cigarette butts in the ashtray.

“Mhm,” the monk nodded solemnly, quite in agreement.

Rabbit and Yuka had just finished their hot spring bath. They were wearing yukatas and drinking milk under a red Japanese-style umbrella.

“I wonder how Turdidae is doing,” Yuka said with concern.

“Don’t worry too much. The group leader said he’s fine,” Rabbit comforted her.

A little further away from them.

“Mhm, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Koi was on the phone with her family.

“Good evening, everyone.”

The sudden voice made the hearts of the group, who had been scared for the past two days, jump. They subconsciously looked over.

A high school student wearing a fox mask was pushing open the window and jumping in from outside.

“Turdidae?!” Rabbit and Yuka put down their milk.

Monkey, while extinguishing his cigarette, stood up.

“Okay, I’ll stop talking. That’s it,” Koi hurriedly hung up the phone.

The group swarmed over. Yuka even threw herself into Minamoto Kiyomoto’s arms.

“Turdidae, are you okay?”

“Are your injuries healed?”

“What happened after we escaped that day?”

“Turdidae—, save me! That bastard Minamoto Kiyomoto said he’s going to wipe us all out within a year, wuwuwu!”

“Sit down and talk, sit down and talk!” Minamoto Kiyomoto quickly held Yuka’s shoulders and pushed her away.

Yuka’s hands were clenched into cat fists, and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

They sat on the tatami and talked about what had happened after they separated.

“So, Turdidae, your injuries aren’t fully healed yet?” Monkey asked.

“Don’t worry,” Minamoto Kiyomoto puffed out his chest slightly. “It was very serious at first, but I’ve already found a way to treat it.”

“Does it still hurt anywhere?” Rabbit, who was sitting next to him, asked with concern.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you, Sister Rabbit.”

“Turdidae, did you watch the battle during the day?” Horse Face asked.

“No, my phone can’t download the software used by practitioners.”

“I forgot. That can only be used after being certified by an official practitioner.”

“Turdidae, Minamoto Kiyomoto called us robbers!” Fatty complained.

“So what if we’re robbers? I’m going to be a robber, and a great thief who steals the world!” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“Steal the world?” Yuka was full of doubt.

“Mhm!” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded vigorously. “Stealing the world is a man’s true ability.”

“What’s this about ‘a man’s’,” Koi laughed.

“I’ve been studying ancient literature recently…” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, scratching the back of his head shyly like a high school student.

“By the way, do you have a girlfriend now?” Rabbit suddenly asked as if she had just remembered.

“I have a one-sided love.”

“What kind of person is she? How old is she? Is she a practitioner?” Yuka asked immediately after.

“I can’t say,” Minamoto Kiyomoto shyly put his hand on his neck again.

“Is she pretty?” Koi asked curiously.

“I don’t think it matters if a woman is pretty or not. The most important thing is her status. Her status must be high!”

“Status?!” Rabbit, Yuka, and Koi, the three women, said at the same time.

“I get it, I get it,” Fatty crossed his arms and nodded vigorously.

“Men have a certain desire to be controlled by a noble woman and to dedicate everything to her,” Monkey also agreed.

“Some men have this idea,” Horse Face affirmed.

“Mhm,” even the monk nodded.

“This isn’t just a part of it!” The ladies were speechless at them.

“So I have to train hard and be a person worthy of her,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, his fists clenched, full of the hot-blooded passion of a judo club member shouting by the river.

Yuka pouted and hit Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“What’s wrong, Sister Yuka?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her, puzzled.

“A woman of high status, huh? What do you think of me, Turdidae?” a sweet and hoarse voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Immediately after, two arms wrapped around Minamoto Kiyomoto’s shoulders, and a soft, firm chest pressed against his back.

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his head and saw Itomi Sayaka’s small, oval face, so close that their noses were almost touching. He could smell a honey-like fragrance.

“Sa-Sayaka-san?!” Minamoto Kiyomoto pretended to be startled.

He was indeed startled.

He knew Itomi Sayaka was here, but he didn’t expect her to make such an intimate gesture.

“Turdidae~~,” Itomi Sayaka wrapped her arms around his neck. “What about my status? Is it noble enough? The young lady of a private hospital, a Shinto sect group leader, and a Kasen-level expert. Want me to have your child? Hmm?”

“Sa-Sa-Sa—” Minamoto Kiyomoto was so nervous his whole body stiffened.

“Group leader!” Yuka and Rabbit called out.

Fatty, Horse Face, and the others were so envious their eyeballs were about to pop out.

“Sayaka, that’s enough,” Hanyu Chika, who had come with her, spoke up. “Don’t you see Turdidae is so scared he can’t even speak? Stop teasing him.”

“I’m not teasing him,” Itomi Sayaka turned her head in dissatisfaction.

Her body twisted slightly, and the breasts pressing against Minamoto Kiyomoto’s back also twisted, as if giving him a massage.

“Sa-Sayaka-san!” Minamoto Kiyomoto removed her hands and jumped out of her embrace as if escaping.

“What’s wrong? Why did you leave?” Itomi Sayaka asked with a smile.

“If you keep this up, I won’t be able to take it…”

“Oh?”

“…You’re too heavy.”

“…” Itomi Sayaka’s smile didn’t change, it just stiffened.

She reached out and went for Minamoto Kiyomoto’s ear.

Minamoto Kiyomoto covered his ears and quickly took a few steps back. Rabbit and Yuka shielded him from behind.

“I’m not dead yet, and you’re already helping the next generation’s group leader against me,” Itomi Sayaka put her hands in her coat pockets and said helplessly.

“It’s you who’s bullying him, group leader,” Yuka complained.

“Turdidae is still a high school student. What’s this about having a child, really,” although she said high school student, Rabbit’s tone was more like she was treating Minamoto Kiyomoto as a kindergarten child.

“You people,” Itomi Sayaka sighed. “Don’t be fooled by him. Men are not to be trusted.”

“Turdidae is still a child!”

“That’s right!”

Monkey spoke up, interrupting the women’s farce. He asked:

“Group leader, have you discussed what to do with the other eight group leaders? That kid said he’s going to wipe us all out within a year.”

“And it looks like he’s not someone who just talks,” the monk added.

“Don’t worry,” Itomi Sayaka walked to the liquor cabinet and took a bottle of Izumo region-limited cola.

Her beautifully curved body leaned against the bar. She twisted open the cap and took a big gulp.

After a satisfying breath, she continued:

“To deal with us, he, the Divine Medium, and the Ise Miko are far from enough. That kid will probably be busy with the matter of becoming the ‘Honshu Shinto Lord’ for a while.”

She swirled the bottle like she was drinking red wine, a playful smile on her lips.

“The ‘Honshu Shinto Lord’ has only had eight people since its establishment thousands of years ago. It won’t be that easy for him to sit on that seat.”

“Sayaka, you mean—the Ogosho won’t agree?” Hanyu Chika asked.

“Who knows,” Itomi Sayaka took a sip of cola as if it were beer. “Maybe he won’t agree, maybe he’ll exchange conditions, but he definitely won’t let a person from Kansai easily have the power to mobilize all the practitioners in Honshu.”

“So… in the short term, we don’t have to worry too much. Nothing will happen?” Koi asked tentatively.

“As long as we’re careful, nothing will happen for a long time.”

“Why?” Rabbit looked at Itomi Sayaka, puzzled. “Could it be that you have a way, group leader?”

“Mhm,” Itomi Sayaka swallowed the cola in her mouth. “That kid Minamoto Kiyomoto has made moves on me before. If something really happens, I’ll sleep with him, and I guarantee you’ll be fine.”

“Group leader—!!!” The members of Group Nine were shocked.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was also shocked.

Only Hanyu Chika wanted to laugh, but couldn’t. She pursed her lips, struggling.

“Group leader, even if we die, we won’t let you do that!”

“That’s right! It’s not like we haven’t almost died before!”

Itomi Sayaka ignored them. She looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto and said:
“Turdidae, you won’t mind, will you? I promise you, when I’m with Minamoto Kiyomoto, I’ll definitely take safety precautions.”

“Well…”

“Group leader! You can’t do that!”

“When I think about it, on a stormy night, the group leader lying naked in bed, waiting for Minamoto Kiyomoto to get in, I want to tear out my heart and smash it. It’s too painful!”

“Fatty! Who the hell told you to think about that! The group leader would never do that! Do you hear me!”

“Alright, alright,” Itomi Sayaka interrupted them.

“Sister Sayaka, you’re joking, right?” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s tone was exceptionally serious.

The crowd also looked at her.

“No, I’m not,” Itomi Sayaka replied. “I’m sleeping with him not just for you, but also for myself, and for my sister and parents. So, don’t try to persuade me. It’s useless.”

Everyone fell silent, including Minamoto Kiyomoto!

He had decided. The humiliation he had suffered today, he would get it back from her sister!
But teasing an innocent high school girl was too immoral.

Forget it, let it be. When will the cycle of revenge end? Minamoto Kiyomoto decided not to spread hatred and to bear everything himself.

For the rest of the time, everyone stopped talking about heavy and realistic topics—if that day really came, could they stop Itomi Sayaka from saving herself and her family?
As long as they joined the Shinto sect, the future was not something they could look forward to. It was full of helplessness and despair.

“Group leader,” the monk said curiously, “what is the extent of Minamoto Kiyomoto’s strength?”

The others were also very curious about this question.

“You’ve seen the demon body. There’s not much to say. The ferocity of the Hakone Fire Dragon, the strange abilities of the red-gold dragon… an ordinary Kasen is no match.

“As for his own strength…” Itomi Sayaka swirled the cola bottle and pondered.

“Could he really have reached the Kasen level?” Rabbit said in disbelief.

“He’s only been training for half a year,” Monkey and the others were also unwilling to believe it.

“Based on my judgment, he’s still a little lacking in divine power.”

Hearing Itomi Sayaka’s words, the crowd collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

“But with his varied, countless, and all very profound spells, he can be considered a Kasen. And in my opinion, compared to his talent in divine power, his comprehension of spells is even more worrying.”

“Speaking of spells, our Turdidae is not afraid of him. Right, Turdidae!” Yuka said proudly.

“Of course!” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his chin.

“Oh?” Itomi Sayaka looked at him with interest—actually, with amusement.

Yuka recounted the story of Minamoto Kiyomoto sealing a person into a clownfish.

Turning a person into an animal didn’t scare Hanyu Chika, but hearing that the clownfish changed from male to female and could live for more than ten years made her face turn a little pale.

This was much more terrifying than death or a life sentence.

She was suddenly glad that she hadn’t insisted on revenge. Otherwise… she didn’t know what animal changed from female to male.

Terrifying, too terrifying.

“Not bad!” Itomi Sayaka, with her non-cola-holding hand, patted Minamoto Kiyomoto’s shoulder heavily.

In order to pretend to be a frail high school student, Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was strong enough to lift beams and replace pillars, had to sway a couple of times.

“Keep it up, young man,” Itomi Sayayaka drank the last of her cola and placed the bottle heavily on the counter.

She placed her other hand on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s shoulder and stared at him intently.

“You have to surpass him quickly. That way, I won’t have to sleep with him and will belong only to you.”

“…”

I should just go and block Itomi Yuki’s school gate.
There’s nothing I can do about Itomi Sayaka herself.
What else can I do? This woman is already prepared to sleep with him and have his child.
I can only bully her sister!