Nekomiya Miya was not that familiar with the fantasy creature called Ket-Si.

　However, she had read in some books that it was the motif of "The Cat in Boots". However, it's not French, but an Irish fairy. They are not like lycanthropes, which are "halfway between a man and a cat", but more like cats in shape.
　Nekomiya was not that shocked when he was reincarnated as Ket Shih. For Nekomiya, who was once famous as a child actor but now aspires to be a stage actress, life is about role-playing. Even if he becomes a cat, he must never lose sight of who he is supposed to play.

　The Ket Shih of this world has the ability to be associated with shadows. Considering that it's an inflated image of a black cat, can we say that it's a power that has been removed? She can move from shadow to shadow and use her shadow as a resource to exercise magic. If the shadow is used up, it will die, but if you leave it behind, it will return to its source. Nekomiya wondered if the shadows in this world could be a magical phenomenon directly related to life force, but he quickly forgot about it. If it's a gifted power, it's just a matter of making effective use of it.

　When it comes to an infiltration mission, it's exactly what you need to make use of.

　Inugami is just like an upper eyebrow in the factional war between the cat and dog factions at Kamishiro High School, but at the same time, he's also an important classmate.

"(An important classmate, huh?)

　Nekomiya, who had entered the room through the 《Shadow Crossing》, fell alone.

''I've gotten pretty sentimental myself.

　Year 2 Class 4 was a good class. Although there were a lot of wishy-washy students, led by the committee chairman, Ryuzaki, they still seemed to be a well-organized class. They showed their solidarity at events like the school festival and school trips, and Nekomiya didn't mind helping out in such a class.
　But still, I feel that the mentality of being able to say that your classmates are important is a bit different from the mentality of being able to say that they are important.

　What I have just bought is a job that I deserve to be injured or even killed in. In order to save my kidnapped classmates, I invade enemy territory. Even though he has gained a high level of ability by being reincarnated as a monster, it's just crazy to think about it calmly. Moreover, he's never been on good terms with them, and he's trying to help Inugami Hibiki.

　Nevertheless, Nekomiya took what he was doing for granted.
　Nekomiya wasn't the only one. Saruwatari, Kagoi, and Karasumaru, whom she had selected as members, also participated in this rescue mission without a single unpleasant look on their faces. No matter who else she had nominated, the reaction would probably have been the same.

　Have we become numb to the danger?
　Has he gone crazy?

　The calm part of Nekomiya Miya's mind became a question, and her sickle-neck twitched. As a self-proclaimed Sinicarist, Nekomiya even tried to think about it for a night, but in the end, she didn't get an answer.

''Nekomiya, what's going on?''

　Karasumaru Yoshitsune, reincarnated as a raven-tengu, asked in a hushed voice.

'It's nothing serious,'

　Nekomiya closes her eyes and makes a self-mocking smile.

'Come to think of it, we've come a long way,'

　The transformation of his own spirit is vaguely misrepresented by such words.

　I've come a long way when I think about it.

　The various events that have happened so far have gradually changed the consciousness of my classmates, including myself, I suppose. That's why they can and do run for such a dangerous operation and participate in it. They may even want to avoid having victims like Washio ever again.
　You can say that the bond between them has grown, but in the end, no matter how many words you try to use, it's just a cliché. As an aspiring stage actress, I am aware that there are few people in this world who can express themselves in words.

"Well, it's indoors, but the heat and humidity doesn't change much...
It's designed to be airy, though.

　Karasuma said as he looked around.

'But compared to the other houses in the settlement, there are fewer windows.

　Kagoi also opened her mouth quietly and muttered.

'Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Of course, there are windows... but not too many.
That's very unusual for a southern island.

　Sarutoyo agreed with Nekomiya's words.

　Was there something inside that he didn't want to be seen, or was there something he didn't want to let out?
　Speculation could be made. None of them could be confirmed, but combined with the fact that the Inugami was being held here, the vampire lurking inside seemed to become clearer and clearer.

'So much for the chatter. The landlord might be there, you know. Carefully, let's go find the Inugami.

　They all nodded at Nekomiya's instructions.

　We snuck into a place that looked like a kitchen. There was an old-fashioned kiln and a covered water bottle. There was a strangely solidly made shelf, which is unusual for this area, and on it were several jars containing condiments.

'(Soy sauce, salt and pepper........)

　Does this mean that he was regularly sent money from his former world? I am envious of that.

"(There's even chicken noodle soup. So your normal diet is no different than humans.)

　From the kitchen, you can go directly into the living room. In this al-Badamba, sitting on the ground would have been the usual way to eat, but there was a well-made desk and chairs in the living room. There were three chairs in the living room, which suggested that the islanders regularly welcomed guests to the island.

　In the living room, there was a generator and fan, as well as books that seemed to belong to the original world, and a calculator and other items. The books are all economic books. Many of the documents on the shelves are old-fashioned.
　Could these also be important clues in the search for Red Moon? Nekomiya reaches out her hand, but of course, at 50 centimeters, she can't reach them. Sensing this, Kagoi gathered up a few documents and took them.

　She lightly acknowledges them with her hand and opens the documents.

''(A copy, of the company-related delegation of rights.......)

　Apparently, the landlord here lived a pretty good life in his former world.
　But it wasn't something that would give him a clue. Nekomiya shrugged and handed the papers back to Kagoi.

''(Nekomiya!)

　Saruwatari's voice, carried and directed by the wind, reached only Nekomiya and Kagoi's ears. When they turned around, Saruwatari and Karasuma were beckoning them to the far side of the room. As they moved to avoid the sound of footsteps, they opened the door in front of them and pointed to the end of it with their fingers.

''(Stairs to the basement...!)

　Nekomiya's eyes widened.

　It was a bit surprising that there was a basement. A slight tidal scent was carried in the chilly air. Could it be connected to an underwater cave? There was a little hesitation, but Nekomiya looked around at them all and stepped into the stairs to the basement.
　Kagoi and the others nodded and followed suit.

　A tense twitch, and a tail stands up. The tingling air seemed to travel through their whiskers to their entire bodies. They say that a cat's whiskers are its sensory organs, but I've been in this body for a little over two months now. I've had many opportunities to feel that story with my body.
　The walls continued to be made of stone for a while, but soon they were replaced by natural, rugged rock walls. As I suspected, it used to be an underwater cave. I guess they connected the holes toward the ground and built their houses there. There was no seaweed or barnacles on the walls. In other words, even at high tide, the seawater would not come this far.

　Eventually, the stairs ended and we reached the lower level of the dimly lit underwater cave.

''Ku, it's dark...''

　Blurting out, Karasuma's voice echoed loudly in the darkness.
　Nekomiya's (Ket Shi) eyes are accustomed to the darkness. In a few seconds, he can make his vision work, feeling no different than on the ground. However, in this state where there is no light and the shadows have melted into the darkness, shadow magic cannot be used, so it's not a very desirable state.

　Suddenly, I saw a shadow that seemed to cower in the corner of my vision.

''Inugami...?''

　When Nekomiya spoke up, Yin slowly raised his head. It reflected the slight light that was pouring in from the ground and shone with a golden color.
　Ket Shi's eyes clearly catch the girl's face. Her silver hair was swept back and forth. There's no doubt about it, it's Inugami Hibiki.

''Inugami, are you okay........ I'm here to help!

　He saw her lying naked and checked her body, knowing it was a lowly thing to do. I didn't see any signs of assault. I'm relieved, but at the same time I wonder if it might be the same thing if she had seen me naked.
　No, right now I'm just glad to be safe first. As Nekomiya runs up to Inugami, Sarutoyo and the others follow from behind.

''There's an Inugami there?　I don't see much.
It's okay if you can't see it. Inugami, are you alright?　You know me, don't you?

　You know what I mean, he asked, but Nekomiya didn't expect a response. Inugami had a gag-like object fitted to his mouth. The middle of the gag was on a large ring, and saliva was almost dripping from his mouth. That's probably what made the floor so sticky and wet. First of all it was painful, and Nekomiya would remove it.

''Neko, Miya........''
"I'm going to do something terrible... What is this.........

　He suddenly noticed a tub-like object near the Inugami's face, but Nekomiya didn't pay much attention to it.

'Saruwatari, Karasumaru, take care of the chains on the Inugami's limbs.
Ooh, chains...!

　The voice of Sarutoyo can be heard scowling at the top of his lungs.

You can't see very well, Nekomiya. What if you accidentally touch a strange part?
I'm just going to cover you up as a girl.
'I'm not taking that kind of risky bet!　I don't care how much you call it youth...!

　Karasuma doesn't speak, but he seems to feel almost the same way as Sarutoyo. However, now that he can't use shadow magic, Nekomiya can't break the chains and...

　Just as he was thinking, Nekomiya's keen hearing caught the sound of footsteps. With a ping, she tensed her ears and looked up.

''Shit.........!

　The landlord had come down. Did he hear the hustle and bustle here or not? Probably the latter. But considering the fact that the footsteps stopped once and then became a little faster, it's highly likely that they've already been sensed anyway.
　Inugami's ears seemed to have sensed it as well, and seeing the way the two of them had fallen silent, the boys quickly regained their tension as well. They gathered in front of Nekomiya, Inugami and the others and looked towards the stairs.

''Ho.''

　The man who came down had blood-coloured twin eyes that stood out clearly in the darkness.

'I didn't expect it to cost me my prey. There are quite a few advantages to keeping a canine alive.
You're a condescending fellow, aren't you?

　Nekomiya responded, not daring to break his usual pace.

　In this kind of dark, it was impossible to request relief from Kyousuke and the others outside by means of shadow-based communication. But there are plenty of ways to do it. Nekomiya stepped forward, scraping past Sarutoyo and Karasumaru, and flattened their legs with his tail, the two not immediately aware of Nekomiya's intentions. An air of confusion was palpable.

'Did you learn that way of speaking from running a company, Toki?

　When I dared to make a light comment, the man stopped moving.

　After all, this man is an ibis. And if you look at those red eyes, you realize that he is a vampire. All the speculation I've made so far has been about right.

We already know about you. It wasn't hard to find the message from the Inugami, even if you were clever enough to hide it. We've told the Chief. Did you do the rash of disappearances?

　As he speaks, he beats Sarutowatari and the others with his tail in an urgent manner. Notice, notice.

But aside from this room, the ground portion of the house is not very well made. It's not very well ventilated.''
You have a very spirited tongue.

　Toki muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

'I'm trying to be a stage actress. I'm very good at improvisation. It's a shame you're the only one who can hear it.

　From there, a few beats later, I felt a soft, breezy sensation.
　I noticed!　I got it!　Nekomiya clenched his fists tightly.

　If he could visualize the magic, he would be able to see the waves of magical power that the wind spirits make out of the stairs. By manipulating the vibrations of the air, the conversation here would be carried to the top of the stairs. It's the same use as when Sarutoyo and Karasuma called Nekomiya earlier, with the directional nature of their voices.

'I didn't think you were building a room even in the basement,'
Well, I'm in need of some help. There's a lot of things we can't show the other islanders.
It's a pretty obvious place to enter, though. In the corner of the living room.

　Toki, the vampire, had been keeping up with Nekomiya for a while. Is it because he's underestimating us, or on the contrary, because he's wary of the presence of the Fushintai?

''It's time to end the chatter.

　But after some more conversation, Toki said abruptly.

'Well, what are you going to do with us?
"You will be asked to stop moving and sleep a little. I thought it would be a gift to the King, along with the Queen's custody.
You're the queen...?

　Nekomiya muttered in a huff.

''You guys, Beni........''
Yes, we plan to take it back from you. From the looks of it, you're a mediocre race, but it will still be enough of a bonus souvenir.

　It was mostly to be expected, but still? The vampire slowly approached us while wearing black lightning in both hands. Kagoi, who was the most confident in her endurance among them, stepped forward a long way and tried to shield Nekomiya.
　Toki seemed to be slowly letting his guard down. They must be beginning to think that there is no way to call for help from here to the outside.

Well, wait. Wait.........

　Nekomiya begged, sounding frightened.

'Oh, if you're going to take Beni with you, you won't be sticking with us now, will you?　It's like you said, we're not that rare. "Thank you for letting me go...
There's a chance you'll get a bite in phase 2. That's not going to happen.

　Probably only Nekomiya could clearly see Toki's expression as he smiled at her.

''Nekomiya, run........''

　Kagoi said in a voice full of tension.

''I'll take care of this place.......!
Oh, Kagoi!　Rash.....

　With that, Nekomiya tries to stop Kagoi from charging at Toki, but it's too late. He teamed up with Toki from the front, but was summarily twisted down. There was a small cry of anguish. The black lightning bolt that Toki wore on his arm radiated directly at Kagoi.

''Gah, gah!
Kagoi!

　Apparently even the stubborn stone skin of the gargoyle was not enough to protect him from the intense pain. Nekomiya gritted his teeth with giri.

''He was quite a companionable gargoyle, but........''

　Zunn, stomping on Kagoi's back, Toki said.

'You've wasted his feelings. If I'd left Inu there and run to the stairs, I could have gotten away with at least one of them...'

　His voice as he mumbles this is completely filled with pride. He is completely convinced that there is no way to strike on our side.
　Nekomiya huffed and smiled for the first time there. To be able to fool a hundred battle-hardened vampires at this last minute, the dream of a stage actress wasn't actually that far away, was it?

''.........?''

　Toki looks at Nekomiya with quizzical eyes.

''What's the matter...?''
There's nothing wrong with that. You're just in time.

　Immediately after, a single shadow burst out with the sunlight, smashing through the ceiling.




''Stream-kiiiiiic!''

　With the roar of the falling board, Kyousuke and Rin's voices chanted in perfect harmony. A full-throated kick exploded into the back of the pawn's head, dressed in black armor.

　When we heard the conversation of Nekomiya and the others from the mansion, Kyousuke immediately recognized it as a rescue signal to us. The conversation with the unfamiliar man reached us as clearly as if it had come through the speakers. I knew somehow that it was probably a manipulation of the air vibrations using the power of the wind spirit.
　It must mean that for some reason, he was unable to use shadow magic. I was sure of that from the fact that he even reported the location properly in that conversation. Kyousuke rushed out, clad in dignity, and broke through the wall to break in, frustratingly searching for the stairs, and blasting through the bedrock that led from the living room to the basement with all his might.

　And so now, in a state of stream-crossing, I am confronted by the man in front of me, a pawn who is probably Toki.

'You've kept me waiting,'

　It was not Kyousuke, but Rin, who was trying to force her voice to be low and reluctant, who said.

'Can you stand, Kagoi?'
"Oh, thank God...

　Kyousuke asks, picking up Kagoi's body, which had been stepped on the floor. Kagoi looks a little distressed, but he manages to nod his head.

　Besides Kagoi, Nekomiya, Sarutoyo, Karasuma, and Inugami. They're all there. Inugami was a staple, and she had her hands and feet in chains, but she was still safe and sound. I don't know how hard she had to go through, but I'm going to return the favor.

''Gu, well, I didn't think it was a skeleton and a slime.......''

　Toki was blown away by a kick to the face and stood up with a cry of anguish.
　Glaring at him, Kyousuke slowly took a Jeet Kune Do stance.

'It's not a skeleton. It's Kyousuke Soraki-kun.''

　Rin says in a clear voice.

'It's not slime. It's Himemizu Rin.''

　Kyousuke followed suit.

Seahorse.

　Inugami, who had a slightly mired expression, shouted in a faint voice.

"The number of vampires, including that one, is six........!　Wasn't there any five left...?
We didn't see it.

　It was Nekomiya who answered in Kyousuke's place.

　At the same time, he recalled the conversation between Nekomiya and Toki that he had just heard from below. They were talking about taking Beni into custody. So, if that is the case, then the remaining five people who aren't here could already be on their way to the Heavy Duty Branch School........

'Alright.'

　Kyousuke nodded clearly.

'Let's get this out of the way and head to the branch school for support.

　At the moment I said that, I felt a thumping in my ribs, a heart that wasn't supposed to be there, a thumping pulse.

　That was the signal that standby was complete. A heart that shouldn't be there. An empty heart. An empty heart. The soul of the substitute slipped in there. The sensation of a heartbeat that is gradually growing faster and stronger is no illusion. Soon, a wind that began to blow out of nowhere wraps around Kyousuke and the others' bodies.

''Let's go, Rin!
'Yes!　Let's do it, Kyousuke!

　The empty vessel is filled with water. Soon, the power overflows from the filled vessel without ceasing.



　Eventually, the power that poured out of them leaked out of their throats in a scream. An invincible body was being assembled, the minds and bodies of the two men becoming one in the smallest unit. At that point, Toki, who finally sensed what was about to happen in front of him, charged at me with a black lightning bolt in his right hand.

''Hah!''

　Brushing away the wind that clothed his body with his right hand, Kyousuke intercepted Toki's fist with one hand.

''Guooh...!

　Toki screamed and was blown away again. His body was slammed into the wall with great force.

''That's...!
Yes, this is...

　Nekomiya's voice is full of surprise as he witnesses it for the first time. Kyousuke responds with a powerful voice.

''This is the Extreme Cross!