Chapter 41
「If you want to meet Ouka-sama, you have to defeat us first!」
Ouka Love Ranger Red shouts.
「If you insist」
「Bube!?」「Gya!?」「Gua!?」「Gee!?」「……!?」
Five people fall simultaneously to the ground.
It was an instakill.
Leaving them as is would be troublesome, so I picked them up planning to put them in one place, but I met a familiar beauty.
「Karuna-dono! You have come! tte, what is this……?」
Ouka stares at wonder at the five unconscious people.
「They seem to be called Ouka Love Rangers Squadron」
「Wh, what is that……? Ah, I have seen this fellow before! It’s the fellow who often stalked me in the past! No, not just him. This one too, and this one…… e, every single one of them!」
They seem to be criminals……
「I was somehow suddenly attacked」
「How could they do that to Onihime-sama’s benefactor……! Karuna-dono, so sorry」
「No, it’s alright」
Nevertheless, as expected of the hero of Oni tribe.
According to〈Pinnacle of Information〉her popularity is on the same level as an idol and there are many unofficial fan clubs.
By the way, Onihime is different as she rarely appears in the public so not many people know her, unlike Ouka.
The pathetic Ouka Love Rangers Squadron has been taken away by palace guards.
Guided by Ouka, we arrive at the throne room.
The floor is filled with tatami and the walls with fusuma. It really is a j.a.panese-styled building.
It’s possible that a person from j.a.pan visited this place in the past.
There’s a higher place in front of us where Onihime should shop up, but she isn’t here yet.
I heard subtle voices from behind the fusuma.
I strengthen my hearing with〈Pinnacle of Five Senses〉and eavesdrop.
「O, Ouka…… I, I…… d, don’t look weird, do I……?」
「Of course not. Onihime-sama always carries out her tasks splendidly」
「N, not that…… that…… m, my appearances…… are they not…… strange……」
「Of course not. Princess always looks lovely」
「…… T, thank you……」
「Now. Karuna-dono is already waiting for you」
「……」
「Is something wrong?」
「Uu…… A, after all, it’s embarra.s.sing……」
「…… Embarrasing? What might you be talking about?」
「I, I mean…… that………… Uuuu……」
「……? We shouldn’t keep him waiting too much……」
「T, that’s right, huh………… yo,
Panpan, I hear a creaking sound and the fusuma slowly opens.
Onihime makes an appearance.
She, dressed in a colorful ceremonial kimono suddenly stops in place.
「…… Princess?」
When Ouka in the back calls to her in puzzlement, Onihime starts awkwardly walking.
It’s just, she fixes her gaze to the front, not looking at us.
Then, at that time,
「Fugiya……」
She most likely stepped on the hem of her clothes. Bata~n Onihime falls on the ground with a grand sound.
「Princes!?」
Ouka rushes up to her in panic.
「Are you not injured, Princess?」
Ouka frantically calls to her, but Onihime lies on the ground without moving a muscle.
While thinking if she’s all right, Onihime suddenly raises her face.
And then, she mechanically turns her neck towards us.
Our eyes match.
At that moment, Bo, a steam rises from Onihime’s head.
「Noooooo!」
She gets up an quickly runs away behind the fusuma while screaming.
Because I heard Bata~n sound again, she most likely fell again.
「P, princess? What has happened?」
「Uwaaaan! I showed Karuna-sama something so disgracefuuul! He definitely thinks now that I’m a weird womaaan!」
Such scream was heard from the other side of the fusuma.
…… Naturally, there’s no way I wouldn’t notice her feelings because I’m not a dense protagonist.
「Onihime-chan is apparently madly in love with me!」
「I think it would be better to keep quiet even if you noticed it, though……?」
「…… I think so too」
In the end, the embarra.s.sed Onihime didn’t come out.
「She usually is more modest, but…… however, as expected this much…… a, anyway, I’m really sorry, Karuna-dono!」
Ouka apologizes.
I thought there’s no way she wouldn’t notice as a fellow woman, but it seems that Ouka is ignorant when it comes to love.
Because Onihime didn’t show up, we received a top cla.s.s hospitality.
This country’s cuisine――is as expected close to j.a.panese cuisine――I also used a large hinoki bath.
At times, I felt something hot watching me, but I realized that it’s Onihime watching me from behind pillars after a while.
When Ouka called to her, she escaped with a ghastly speed.
This and that happened and the night came――
While lying on the futon under me, the fusuma opened.
「……」
Onihime entered the room silently.
Unlike during the day, she’s wearing a white unders.h.i.+rt.
She timidly approaches me and sits in seiza.
Then she says with a shaky voice.
「…… Karuna-sama………… W, with me………… C, could you share the mattress with me……?」
She suddenly jumped over quite a number of bases!?
…… It seems today is going to be a long night.