“This as thanks?” “Yesss♥ Please do♥” With the funding sorted, I said goodbye to Souta and left his house right away.
I still had way too much to do.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ About three hours passed after that.
In that time, I’d run all over the place, successfully farming various items.
Aphrodisiac ×2 Virility Booster ×3 Stamina Recovery Potion ×3 Mysterious Map Pocket Watch (Seems somewhat broken) A few inexplicable items mixed in, but this haul wasn’t bad at all.
No, it was great.
Because I still had one ‘really good item’ from this run.
I glanced at the subtly heart-shaped tattoo on the back of my hand and held back a smile.
It was only natural.
This tattoo was none other than…
⚔ ITEM ACQUIRED ⚔ Regeneration Tattoo (Revives you exactly once upon death!) My spare life.
Suddenly too fantasy-like for modern life?
Ever since aphrodisiacs that make women masturbate uncontrollably upon consumption appeared, it was plenty fantastical already.
I get why someone might think that.
‘I was pretty shocked when I first saw it too.’ I was stunned when I got this item.
Why does something like this exist in a modern setting?
The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple.
‘Ero Villain made Tsukuru RPGs with fantasy settings too.’ Ero Villain had made Tsukuru RPGs based on fantasy among their games.
That’s probably why these items show up.
The elixir (panacea) in that shop last time made it obvious.
‘Still, getting a spare life is pure luck.’ Even so, scoring this spare life was huge.
Some might say “big deal,” but anyone who knows the fear of death understands its value.
I gazed lovingly at my precious spare life, then realized it was about lunchtime, recalling a certain promise.
‘Oh yeah, time to head to the shrine.’ My lunch date with Tachibana Misaki—the girl who claims to see ghosts, a total friendless loner.
Thanks to Miyuki, initial funds weren’t an issue, but more money was always better.
With that in mind, I stood up to buy lunch for the protagonist of Genius Exorcist Misaki: The Genius Exorcist Never Submits to Yokai , Tachibana Misaki, and headed straight to the convenience store.
Hoping inwardly that the bento from last time would be there again.
It was personally delicious.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while after Takuya left his spot.
A large crow landed where he’d been crouching.
Anyone seeing it might mistake it for some other bird species.
The crow looked around Takuya’s spot, “Caw, caw, caw.” cried out toward the sky a few times, -Whoosh!
and vanished from the spot.
Not flying away or moving elsewhere—it literally disappeared right there.
As if nothing had ever been there to begin with.
.
.
.
.
.
Beep beep.
“Thank you.
Come again.” Having snagged the exact same bento as last time, I left the convenience store with a grin.
If I hadn’t, I might’ve been so disappointed I’d have caused a ‘scene’ with the clerk.
Bento in hand, I headed happily toward the shrine.
Or tried to.
“Huff!
Huff!
Senpai, I’m not late, right?!” “You’re late, idiot.” “Haha…
R-Really?” Until I spotted a high school girl panting, apologizing profusely to the convenience store clerk, with a familiar-looking back.
‘What?
She looks familiar…’ Staring at her back, I felt like I’d seen this girl’s face somewhere before.
Ponytail, healthy tanned skin, and energy levels that didn’t scream ‘normal person.’ Ah, seriously, where have I seen her?
I definitely knew her, but couldn’t recall from where.
Maybe from one of the ero-games?
Or not…
‘Dunno.
Just my imagination?’ Having consumed so much subculture, I might’ve mistaken her for a similar character.
After pondering for a while, I shrugged it off as nothing and headed to the shrine anyway.
Though a nagging unease lingered.