[Part 1/4]
As the darkness faded, my senses slowly returned.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a wall I didn't recognize—plain, cold, and empty. It didn't help figure anything out and just made feel more confused.
For a second, my mind just stopped.
I imdiately tried to move my head to understand the situation, but... unfortunately, that was not possible.
"...Haha. You really don't hold back, do you?"
I glance at my restrained body and spit out my words.
To be more precise, I spit out my words towards the ropes that bind my hands, feet, waist, and neck.
Of course.
The unusually thick ropes, which are also a curse-tool, were clearly ant to restrain non-human beings, not people.
In other words, it ans that those who bound do not recognize as a proper human...
"Ah, you're awake? Good morning!"
A cheerful and lively greeting echoes in the space.
I look around but can't see the source of the voice, trying to figure out where it ca from.
"Wow, impressive! You were supposed to be asleep for another 2 hours, but you woke up already?"
"Thanks for that. It seems the Juuyaku's dicine isn't as effective as you thought?"
The voice whispers from behind , and I respond with sarcasm.
The sly, almost enchanting tone in her voice sends a shiver straight to my eardrums.
I hear footsteps.
And then, just like that, she steps into my line of sight.
Wearing a lightweight mission outfit with exposed areas cut out for ease of movent, Juuyaku Kaya stands there... but she doesn't have her bow and arrows.
She isn't even carrying them.
In other words, this proves that she is genuinely on guard.
This is her true combat style.
"Surprisingly, it seems like you're not forgetting at all? According to the Hidden Group's report, it looks like you're managing to forget things well?"
"...Forget? What do you an by that?"
"Ah, well, let's save that story for another ti. More importantly!!"
Noticing my careless remark in response to her provocation, Kaya forcefully changes the subject.
She acts coy, spreading her arms wide and sticking out her tongue with a wink.
And then she declares.
"Once again, welco to the 'real' Juuyaku family ho! I will treat you with all my heart!"
Her tone was endlessly cheerful, playful, and full of nonsense—definitely not the kind of thing you'd expect from soone who'd just caught the culprit.
"Is it the real thing...?"
I ruminated, then looked at myself and tried to survey my surroundings again.
I moved my eyes to grasp the situation.
It seems most of my equipnt has been stripped away.
I'm underdressed and feel a bit cold.
Even though it's sumr, the air is chilly... in other words, I'm underground.
In front of , and within sight of the left and right walls and ceiling, there is nothing.
This is truly a dungeon, a corner of a vast facility.
Juuyaku family... the main family estate, huh?
(Well, it's not impossible that there's a hidden main estate separate from the public one, right?)
However, to say they are sincerely welcoming...
"It's confusing that it doesn't seem like sarcasm. What are you thinking, trying to probe into other family's secrets? Are you considering bribery?"
"Not exactly right, but not far off! For now, the fact that your limbs are still intact is a sign of my sincere goodwill, so please shed tears of gratitude!"
Kaya said this with a wink, casually saying sothing quite cruel.
It was rather strange that she was acting just like when we were interacting a few days ago.
What is she thinking?
Or maybe....
"Have you gone a bit crazy from being ssed with?"
I reflected on my last mory just before visiting here.
Such modifications are basically forbidden techniques and, of course, not without risks.
The side effects may vary from person to person, but it's not surprising if there are effects on the mind.
In fact, I sotis feel a sense of discomfort with my own thoughts and values.
I must be unknowingly drifting away.
Thinking that way, the girl in front of starts to look pitiful.
"Ahahaha! Well, that's not a big deal, so don't worry about it! I'm managing just fine!"
Her cheerful laughter, pretending to be carefree, was directed at my insults.
She didn't seem the least bit unhappy.
Bending down, Kaya peered at and said.
"I'm glad you're worried about , but... it's quite a luxury to worry about others when you're in such a tough spot yourself, isn't it?"
"Well, we're comrades after all. You'd worry about my body, right...? How about it? Want to change jobs? It might be better than here?"
I throw out a reverse recruitnt line like that.
Of course, I didn't really expect anything from it.
I knew that having such expectations was pointless.
"Oh? You're worried about my body? Should I show it to you?"
"Oh? ...Hey, hey, hey."
Kaya, saying such things, starts taking off her equipnt with a clatter.
Without a hint of sha, she strips off her outfit, revealing her bare body without hiding anything.
I look away, but I still observe her out of the corner of my eye.
To see if there are any abnormalities or issues with her body...
"If you're going to look at like that, why not just stare at directly? Co on, what do you want to observe? Hehe, if you tell without being shy, I'll show you everything without hiding!"
Saying that, Kaya steps toward the direction I had just averted my gaze.
When she sees that the prominent parts she showed off aren't what I wanted, she twists her body to display everything without holding back.
"I wish you'd have a little more sense of sha...!"
Then, as her white back cos into view, covered in scabs, I'm left speechless.
Painful marks scattered across her skin, layered as if ointnt had been used to fill deep, sunken wounds...
"That is..."
"Ah, that hurts quite a bit since it breaks through the skin, you know? It's not cute, and it doesn't look good, so I'd rather for you not use it on that 'way' if I can help it."
So please don't think of anything strange... With a carefree tone, Kaya shakes her hips while showing off her back, and I can't help but frown.
If I understand the aning of her words from the mories just before I was captured, her body must have been quite severely affected....
"I know it's strange for to say this, but... how can you stay so lighthearted about it?"
"This is actually a pretty decent level of completion, you know? Compared to the big sisters I got rid of, this is quite cute!"
"..."
I could only fall silent when I tried to digest the sideways response to my question, which was ant to empathize and persuade.
I had my doubts and made various predictions based on that blue demon's tip-off... but this is sothing else.
"You don't have to be quiet! It's ridiculous to take life and death so seriously in this industry, right? After all, didn't the Household mber Coordinator say the sa thing?"
"...Eavesdropping, huh? That's quite rude."
What Kaya ntioned was probably about a conversation with Tamaki.
It's true that in the exorcism business, it's not uncommon for friends and family to die.
It's still the sa kind of death, though.
But...
"Dying on the job is your responsibility. It's due to your lack of skill. But being disposed of in an experint is sothing I can't just accept... Isn't it a bit too cruel of a way to die?"
Dying in a failed experint feels pointless.
Of course, this girl exists on top of countless experints and sacrifices, which may contribute to her survival rate in battle... but as an emotional issue, it's not sothing I can easily accept.
"You're surprisingly sentintal, aren't you?"
"Am I being too emotional?"
"No, no! Isn't it wonderful to have a bit of romance? It's cute!"
She smiled brightly at , praising .
Of course, she was completely naked.
Her behavior was so carefree that it made feel embarrassed and guilty for being the one being shown.
...Was her attitude and words when looking at 'people's things' just a disguise?
Such silly doubts unexpectedly arose.
"...How about putting on so clothes?"
"Don't you want to see a little more?"
"Isn't it cold?"
"Not at all!!"
"Give a break..."
Feeling fed up with the conversation, I hung my head, closed my eyes, and finally fell silent.
"Hello? Is anyone there? ...Oh no, are you going to stay quiet?"
For a while, Kaya, who had been calling out to , finally gave up and picked up her scattered clothes, realizing I was completely silent.
She seed to hope I would react a little, circling around playfully, but after a couple of tis, she seed to get bored.
Shrugging her shoulders, she passed by .
I heard the sound of a cage opening, the sound of her leaving the cell...
"Just so you know, don't expect any help, okay? ...Well, I'll bring you food later, so let's chat again then, alright?"
"..."
Her cheerful voice echoed through the confined darkness—a decorated warning in disguise.
I didn't bother responding.
In other words, I was just ignoring her.
...I wonder if the guilt I feel for ignoring her, along with my inability to feel any hostility or resentnt toward this whole situation, is because I've gotten too attached.
Or maybe it's just so kind of drug ssing with my head.
"Well then, see you later♪"
I couldn't help but wonder how much she understood of what was going on in my head as she cheerfully walked away.
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