Ch.274Ghost Shota (3)

“Come here!!”

I was about to slash through the door with my Sachs Sword… but instead, I just opened the sliding door like a gentleman. Wouldn’t want to damage Sachs, after all.

“The presence of my daughters has been weakening… so it was your doing.”

The female innkeeper was there.

Whooooosh-!!

Souls were swirling around the innkeeper.

“What are you trying to do by extracting souls?!”

I shouted loudly.

“Hmph. If you’re someone who deals with living spirits, you should know. Absorbed souls equal strength. That’s power. I’ve been collecting souls for decades.”

The innkeeper said.

“What the…”

So everyone who came to this inn as a guest was absorbed as a soul?!

“No… why would our teachers choose a place like this for lodging…”

Sachs immediately objected.

I mean, with so many lodging options, why did they specifically pick this landmine of a place? That was impressive in its own way.

But… with such obviously suspicious activities going on, why aren’t the police or others doing anything about it? That was puzzling. If all our souls get extracted here, an entire high school would be reported missing. How would they cover that up?

“The darkness of Japan runs deeper than you think, boy.”

The innkeeper said with a seductive smile.

“There it is!! The random appeal to modern society’s darkness!! Don’t think readers will buy that explanation!! It’s dangerous to think everything becomes tastier when you make it urban fantasy-like!”

I immediately objected.

“What are you talking about…?”

The innkeeper looked at me like I was an idiot.

“Shota. Focus.”

At that moment, the possessed Sachs spoke to me from behind.

“Yeah.”

I immediately came to my senses. Being a writer myself, my occupational disease had surfaced. I need to control myself.

———-

“Well, this is unfortunate. But I have my reasons for collecting souls. Accept it gracefully.”

The innkeeper said, pointing behind her.

There was a jar… filled with something. Talismans were attached all around the jar. And the souls were being sucked into the gaps of the jar all at once.

Clunk-! Clunk-!

It was obvious there was something in the jar. I could guess what it was.

“With this many souls… I can revive him.”

The innkeeper caressed the jar with a manic expression.

“More… more… not enough…!”

At that moment, an eerie voice came from beyond the jar.

“Yes, yes. My darling is such a spoiled one. I’ll prepare it right away.”

The innkeeper smiled as she stroked the jar.

“Just two more souls… and I can resurrect him.”

The innkeeper smiled as she looked at the Sachs-Shota duo. Yep, that’s exactly two of us.

“You seem to have naturally strong yang energy that resisted my techniques somehow… but that doesn’t mean your lifeline is extended.”

The innkeeper immediately took a stance.

“Jo, Jojoseogi!!!”

I was immediately struck with awe. She was a comrade!

Fwaaaash-!!

A goblin-like figure appeared behind the innkeeper.

“Let me show you a familiar control that novices can’t imitate.”

The innkeeper said.

“Ready? Sa.”

I took a stance while holding the Sachs Sword.

“Of course, Sho.”

Sachs also took a stance in response to my words.

“Our mistress will…!!”

At that moment, the remaining employee remnants tried to rush toward us.

“Stop.”

Everyone froze at the innkeeper’s sultry command.

“They are not opponents you can handle.”

The innkeeper said firmly.

“I’ll take care of them.”

The innkeeper immediately released her familiar!!

Whoong-! Whoong-! Hung-!

The oni that emerged from behind immediately took a stance, swinging its club.

Fwaaaash-!

In that moment, the familiar closed the distance toward me at an incredible speed. And swung its club with all its might.

Whoooooong-!!

Block it with the Sachs Sword? That thought crossed my mind briefly, but that would damage Sachs’s body. I just pretended to block. As a threat to Sachs.

“……..?!”

Sachs immediately made a panicked expression. His physical body was about to kiss the club.

“Hyaaap!!!”

To protect his body, Sachs immediately rushed in front of me. This was the fastest I’d ever seen Sachs move.

Claaaang-!!

Sachs’s fist collided with the club.

Kiiiiik-!!

The forces were almost equal.

But we were slightly at a disadvantage.

“Urgh!!!”

The oni in front immediately pushed Sachs’s body with its club.

“Gahk!!”

The impact Sachs received was linked to me as well.

Thud-!!

My body fell forward.

“Hehehe. This is the difference.”

The innkeeper laughed.

“The art of controlling living spirits by becoming one with your familiar… that is the art of familiar control!!! Amateurs like you can never catch up, understand?”

The innkeeper said.

“I keep telling you… I’m not an exorcist or anything…”

I got up from the ground, breathing heavily.

But… I understood what she meant. The skill difference was obvious. The innkeeper handled her possession more skillfully.

Moreover, Sachs didn’t move exactly according to my intentions. It felt like he had his own will, causing our movements to be misaligned.

“Sachs… do you trust me?”

I asked as I stood up.

“Yeah. I… trust you.”

Sachs’s possessed form said.

“Because even when you choose extreme and crazy methods, you always lead me to victory.”

There was trust in the eyes of the ghostly Sachs.

This was… the bond between comrades.

“Your body might hurt a bit. Close your eyes and trust me.”

I said.

“Alright.”

Sachs sighed as he spoke. I was so grateful for this guy’s existence, who trusted me even while grumbling.

“Sachs. Attack with full power and create an opening.”

After saying that, I immediately kicked off the ground and charged.

Fwaaaash-!!

I charged toward the innkeeper at tremendous speed.

“Hmm… what speed… did he enhance his physical abilities with a familiar? No… he couldn’t possibly use such an advanced technique…!!”

The innkeeper hurriedly called back the oni she was controlling.

Yeah, it’s just my physical ability. I inwardly objected while gripping the Sachs Sword.

“Uryaaah!!!”

The oni swung its club widely.

Tuuuump-!

Sachs, in his ghost state, blocked the club with all his might.

Clang-! Clang-! Chang-! Bubububuk-!

Afterward, a fierce battle broke out between the oni and Sachs.

Due to the intensity of the fight, the bodies of the oni and Sachs swayed greatly.

Then an unexpected event occurred.

Sway-!

As Sachs’s ghostly body tilted forward, his face ended up buried in the oni’s crotch. Ah… shit. Sachs’s shitty luck was definitely transmitted to me.

“Hnnnng❤”

Suddenly, a strange moan came from the oni’s mouth.

“In the middle of a fight… stimulating such a place… my strength… no…❤”

Suddenly, the oni dropped the club in its hand. Did its voice just change to sound feminine? Is this for real?

“Ugaaaah!!”

Sachs, seemingly not immune to such shitty situations, immediately screamed.

However, the brave few seconds Sachs bought… greatly changed the course of this battle.

“Well done, Sachs.”

I said, holding the Sachs Sword like a javelin.

“Uryaaaah!!!”

I immediately threw the Sachs Sword.

Whoooong-!!

The Sachs Sword flew straight toward the innkeeper in an upright position.

“Hmph! Is that all?!”

The innkeeper reflexively dodged the flying Sachs.

However, she soon seemed to realize she had fallen into a trap.

Whoooong-!

The Sachs Sword flew straight toward the jar behind her.

Crash!!

And Sachs’s head broke through the jar as it passed.

The jar shattered completely, scattering fragments.

“Da-darling!!! No!!!”

The innkeeper immediately wore a dismayed expression.

Shwaaaaaaash-!!!

The souls in the jar began to be released all at once.

I saw familiar faces.

According to the innkeeper, I had strong yang energy, so I could somewhat hold onto souls.

“Huuuup…..!!!”

Just like when I pulled Sachs in, I exhaled with all my might.

Shiiiiiiiiik-!!

All the souls were sucked into my mouth.

Everyone’s souls came to me one by one.

“Shota!!!”

“You did it!!!”

“I-I don’t know what’s happening but hang in there!!”

My girlfriends immediately entrusted their entire beings to me in response.

Most of the classmates were sucked into my body without regaining consciousness… but it was still worth it.

The innkeeper said that consuming souls equals power. That was true.

My body was overflowing with power. I was gaining the strength of everyone’s souls in real-time.

Snap!!

I could win now. I immediately raised my fist and took a stance.

“The real fight starts now!!”

I was Nightmare Shota, who had consumed the souls of 100 people (number uncertain)!!!

“Th-this… darling…! Darling…!!”

The innkeeper wailed, looking at the jar with her mental state collapsed.

That’s when it happened.

Craaaack-!!

A huge hand that emerged from beyond the jar fragments absorbed the innkeeper’s soul.

“Dar…liiiing….!”

With the innkeeper’s lament, a massive monster emerged from the fragments.

“Souls… not enough souls…!!”

An obviously dangerous bastard had appeared.

“Oh no!!! Takashi has emerged!!”

One of the employees said with a pale expression. No, they’re ghosts so they’re already pale. Let’s refrain from such lazy descriptions.

“Who the hell is Takashi?!”

I asked them.

“Our… mistress’s husband. He died long ago, but the mistress couldn’t accept it… so she tried to resurrect Takashi using forbidden dark arts.”

The employee said with a gloomy expression.

“More souls… give me…!!”

Takashi’s upper body had been perfectly resurrected.

“The current Takashi is… an evil spirit…!! He’s become a beast that only craves souls. If this continues… all of Kyoto will be destroyed!!”

The employee shouted loudly.

Shit!! The scale suddenly increased!! Is Kyoto in danger?!

But… it felt familiar. I’ve been protecting Earth anyway, so Kyoto is nothing.

“Let’s do this somehow!! Everyone!!”

I called out to the souls within me.

“Yeah!!!!”

Everyone’s shouts echoed in my heart.

And so, the second round began.