Hey, moron, do you see that?

　While walking along the sandy beach, the white horse suddenly said something like that.

'What?'
What, you seriously haven't noticed?

　The three of them are advancing along the shore. Hakuba and Kyousuke are walking side by side, and Yukinoshita is slinking along a little further from them. There's nothing else to be concerned about.
　Yukinoshita had just awakened to her special Phase 2 ability, 《Molecular Motion Reversal》, and had just launched a self-described minus 1.2 trillion degree freezing ray into a self-described 1.2 trillion degree fireball. His fatigue should be very thick, but his footsteps were firm and he didn't look tired. However, it looks as if his body has melted in the aftermath of the use of his abilities, and he seems to have shrunk a little bit in height.

''I'm not talking about snowflakes,''

　That being said. Kyousuke stopped once and looked around.
　There was nothing but wasteland around him, and there was nothing else of note to be seen. Perhaps noticing that we had stopped, Yukinoshita looked back at us with a bit of a languid look on her face.
　Hakuba gives Kyousuke an earful.

'There's someone staring at us.
How do you know that?
Because one of you is a woman.
Oh, yeah...

　However, it's not peaceful to stare at us in the wilderness like this.
　It's not necessarily a human being, though, since the "woman" that Hakuba says is properly counted as Himemizu Rin. Kyousuke turned his gaze to the direction that Hakuba indicated without a trace.

'By the way, I'm not a virgin, unfortunately.
You're the only one who's sorry about that.

　Snowflake also walks over to us rather quickly.

''What's going on?''
There's a guy looking at me. There's a woman and a guy who isn't.
How come you're the other guy who isn't?
'Because it's a white horse count........ Snowflake, can you fight?

　When Kyousuke asked, Yukinoshita said, 'Huh,' and an aggressive smile appeared on her mouth.

''Your strength and magic power are nearing their limits. The next time you fire off another one trillion and twenty million degrees, you'll die.''
You look like you have a lot of time to spare.
Something different.

　After all, pessimism and fervor have merged into an unfamiliar personality.
　For now, Kyousuke stood to protect Yukinoshita and readied his sword. If it was someone with hostile intent, it would be very bad to be found to roost here. In the worst case scenario, he would have Yukinoshita bluff him or use the power of Kyousuke's 《Characteristic Amplification》 to bludgeon him with a freezing ray.
　In terms of firepower, Yukinoshita has quickly risen to the top of her class, but her drawback is her fuel efficiency. I'll have to continue to examine how to use it in the future.

''Come out. I know you're there.
And that one of them is a non-virgin... guwah!

　Hakuba had taken a frozen punch from Snowman.

　It took a while for him to react. But there was a figure that appeared from one of the rock shadows. The moment he recognized her face, Kyousuke stiffened his body. It was one of those adventurers, a woman dressed like a clergyman.
　After that, the leader of the adventurers, a swordsman, came out with a face that looked as if he had despaired of something. His right arm could not be identified. That's because Kyousuke literally knocked it off.

'You guys?'

　Kyousuke said slightly, his voice laced with nervousness.

'You know each other?'
Shut up.

　Hakuba asks Yukinoshita in a fluent voice, but he is silenced tersely.

'What do you want? I told you that if you mess with us, I won't relent next time.
'Oh, yes. Um ... Lesbons?

　The woman looked up at the man, but the man seemed to have just had something shocking happen to him and was stunned and refused to speak. The woman gave a small shrug and threw her staff in one hand and held up one hand. With her other hand, she fumbles around in her pocket.

''We have no intention of engaging you here. I am Filhana Granvana, a Gold-ranked adventurer of the Adventurers' Association. Next to me is Lesvon Balk, another Gold Ranker.

　The woman took out what seemed to be an adventurer's registration card. It was an identity card made with the best of magical technology.

'I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to believe it yet.

　Kyousuke doesn't release his stance as he glances at Hakuba and Yukinoshita.

'Unbelievable, is it your intention to engage?'
'The identification one doesn't mean anything to us, you know. It doesn't matter if it's an alias or your real name.

　With the cutting edge pointed at Filhana, Kyousuke said his name, 'It's Utsurogi.

'I understand. We're not in a very good mood, since we're not here to get along either, but I'll talk to you in this attire. .........Lesbons?
Oh, yeah. Sorry, Filhana.
Lesvon's the leader, you're in charge.

　After a small reprimand from Filhana, Lesbons, the swordsman who had finally become a ship arm, began to function.

'By the way, Filhana, you really...'
Come on!　Don't talk about that!

　Apparently, there are complicated relationships. Hakuba secretly told me, 'The guy is a virgin. How do I know that? You don't mean to say that's a phase 2 ability or something, do you?

'Uh, hmmm. We'd like to exchange some information with you guys.
"Exchange of information?
Yes.

　Lesvon held out his remaining left arm and said this.

'Two red-eyed men and women have been presented with a request to capture the unicorn there.

　The first to react to those words was Hakuba. Although he didn't utter the words, seeing his mood change, Kyousuke could also guess. "It's the Blood Race of the Red Moon (Red Moon). I had roughly guessed when we were attacked by the wights and small demons, but they are still on this continent.

I'm sure you're not the only one who doesn't trust those two, and I don't want to cause problems for you. So we'll exchange information.
What about the resulting turn of events that would have you pointing your sword at us?
Well, it could be. It's just an exchange of information to clarify the policy.

　Kyousuke checked on Hakuba and Yukinoshita again, the two nodding in silence.
　It's true that they were lacking in information. If there was anything I could get out of them, I'd like to hear it. I'm also curious about the bloodline, and the means of returning from this continent.

''All right. I'll comply.

　Kyousuke nodded, thrusting his sword into the sandy beach once.

'If you make a strange move, Yukinoshita over here will let go of you. Good.
Okay, yeah. Did you just say "molehill", my friend?
.........

　The adventurer man laughed as he slumped down on the driftwood nearest to him.

'You don't seem to be the type to be too good at scheming and negotiating.
.........

　Kyousuke doesn't answer.

'Well, good. Let's go to the fair, to the fair. We'll tell you what you want to know, one piece at a time. Okay?
Yeah.

　I nod and then examine it. It's probably unlikely that the other side will have one thing they want to know. If that were the case, then this side could ask a few questions. The desire to ask about the blood family was stronger now, but it might be better to wait for the other side to ask about that.

　After pondering for a while, Kyousuke decided to start with a question to bridge the gap.

You're one of us, aren't you? I want to hear about why you wanted to kill Mitarai.

　They were adventurers, so it might be natural to hunt monsters, but there was something a little insistent about their attitude.
　Lesvon scratched his cheek with one arm, looking a little awkward.

''Ah........ I see, that's it.''
Is it something you can't tell me?
I'm not saying that. Don't be too upset. It's just that it's a very rare monster.

　Before we can show any kind of reaction, Lesbon continues.

'It's not just Azkirai. It's not just Azkirai," he says, "but also the snow onna and the karasteng. They have only been seen in this new continent. They're called Ayakashi or Shura Osa, don't you know.

　Kyousuke and the others shook their heads. It was the first time they had heard of it. The data and notes Serena had given him had indeed shown that there were indeed creatures inhabiting this world that closely resembled the Japanese Youkai, but they hadn't indicated what they were and where they lived.

''Shura Osa is the name of an army that raided the Old Continent from the east about two hundred years ago.

　From the side, Filhana adds with a hint of a smile.

''The head of the group is Demon King Sanmot. However, the name Demon King is a self-description, and he is called Shura King to distinguish him from the Demon King, who is one of the pillars of the King God. He marched at a breakneck pace and conquered the eastern part of the continent one after another, but when he was enlivened by the first heroes who were awakened at the time, and when Stendeau, one of his main forces, was defeated by the Spirit King Plains...
You talk too much. Filhana.

　Lesvon tasted his companion with a piquant smile as he got good at it and talked about the information.

'That's why. It's a good thing that there is not much data on Shuraosa, so the price is high when you capture her. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. It's like this.
Thank you.
So, here's my question.

　Lesvon said, holding up his index finger. Kyousuke nodded.

'If you have any ideas as to why those two red-eyed guys are going after that unicorn over there, please tell me.




　While Kyousuke and the others were in contact with the adventurers, Himemizu Rin was leading the others on a walk through the green, hilly terrain. At the head of the formation was Slime. Followed by Azuki Wash, Nurikabe, and Raven Tengu. The way they paraded around was like the Night of the Hundred Demons. If you look closely at the Nurikabe and the Raven Tengu, you can see a shadowy Zashiki-Doji walking between them.

"So, is Utsurogi-kun alone with Snowfall?

　Hearing what happened, Chihaya Kabeano asked with a raised eyebrow.

''Aren't you worried, Himemizu-san?''
Well, there's no point in worrying about it. That's the kind of person you are, Kyousuke.

　The slime leading the way replies cheerfully with an effort.

''Yes. You're an adult, Himemizu-san.
Yeah. You're a grown-up.

　I've already told the men here about information such as how Kyousuke is working to solve Yukinoshita's internal problems. Out of filter, Phase 2, both of which are issues that need to be resolved in order to survive.
　So Rin said that she would love to talk to them if they had any problems as well. She supports what Kyousuke is trying to do while in the shadows. It would be good to do this much.

'That's good, though, Himemizu. How are we going to get across the ocean?
Come on. I think you can handle it.　And I haven't vetted all the possibilities yet.

　In order to meet up with the other classmates, you have to cross the ocean. Currently, we don't have the means to do that. It can be said that Karasuma's doubts are legitimate.
　However, Rin decided to let that part of it slide with 'I can manage it'. It's true that the pieces are missing right now, but there's no point in worrying about it with a difficult head.

　Right now, it's time to explore the surrounding area. We look for things we can eat, things that might be useful, and things that we can make friends with. There was also the possibility that some of our other classmates had metastasized to this vicinity.
　We stepped into the thick forest of trees and found some rather tasty looking nuts lying around. Let's break up around here.

Let's focus on this area and see what we can find. Karasuma-kun, you start with the sky.
Oh.
Don't get too far ahead of yourselves. You'll find that...

　Rin got properly tangled up in a nearby tree and snapped it with her whole body, snapping it with her mecha.

'Here's a marker!

　Oh," exclamations of admiration leaked out from those around me. A brand new stump. There, Rin poked the trunk of the tree she had snapped in half further, splitting it in half. If they weren't too far apart, they would be able to gather together quickly even with a marker of this magnitude.

''Then, Kai-saan!
""Oh."

　Lazy voices echoed through the forest. They all scattered here and there in the forest, and Rin also moved a bit to begin her search.




　However, it wasn't a search for anything specific. His attention is distracted and he doesn't always find what he wants right away, or not.
　It's still that thing that's dignified and curious. It's the snowflake thing. Kyousuke is already that personality, so I can't blame him, but I wonder how Yukinoshita Ryouka will fare. Her appearance is different before and after the trip, but she's a beauty anyway. Her slender, tall stature is comparable to Benii Asuka in terms of style.

　Even though she's a slime herself!

　Even when Sakuma tried to approach Kyousuke, I thought, this figure is a disadvantage in the love race anyway!　I can't wait to become human. But if I become a human, I can't merge with Kyousuke.
　If Kyousuke melted the ice in Yukinoshita's heart, I don't want it to result in a strange increase in rivals. To tell the truth, Rin's fears were completely unfounded, but anyway, she is in a state where her confidence as a girl has been completely shattered, so it's not surprising.

''Sigh.''

　Rin sighed.

'It's because Kyousuke-kun can't boil over either.

　I stretched out my body and smashed the nuts from the branches.

　When I came here, I suddenly remembered Ei Hino. Where is he now? He should have been relatively close to me on the deck, but has he been transferred to this continent? Or has he been sent to a different place, a more distant place? There's quite a bit of uncertainty as to whether he can make it on his own.
　Speaking of worrying, there was also the matter of Koganei Yoshiki. It has already been nearly three months since he was kidnapped by his blood family. Ryuuzaki and Kyousuke could see that they were deliberately trying to avoid mentioning his name out of concern for the surroundings. Judging from the enemy's purpose, it was hard to dismiss the possibility that Koganei had already been put into the factor and turned into a blood clan as well.

　As one or two of them came to mind, he began to think of one classmate after another.

　Are Beni, Sakuma and the others safe?
　Where did Kenzaki, with whom I was close, go?
　I'm also worried about Inugami, who has a clear rivalry with his blood family.
　What is Ryuzaki doing?

　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

''Oh?''

　And then I look back. To be precise, Rin, who can look through the entire perimeter, doesn't need to look back, so she only reverses her gaze. Then, as if to cut through the trees, a huge stone wall swiftly appears.
　A moving wall, that is an outrageous monstrosity, but Rin is not that surprised, as she recognizes the huge body.

''Chi-chan, what's wrong?''
Himemizu-san, do you have a minute?
Okay.

　Chihaya Kabeno is the coolest girl in her class. At over 170 centimeters tall, she was second only to Kannari Toritaba among the girls, and her extremely tight body line in comparison to her height made her even more handsome. In spite of her sporting appearance, Kabano must have been the manager of the soccer club.
　This was, of course, when he was a human being. Now, he was twice as tall as he was back then, still second only to Kannari Toritoba, but he was over three hundred centimeters taller than Gourin Motomune, the tallest of the men. And his body shape is more flat than tight.

　Well, it's Nurikabe.
　I'll spare you the lore of the youkai called Nurikabe, as expected.

So, what do you want?
Mr. Himemizu, you said earlier that you could talk to me about anything that was troubling you.
Oh, yeah, you said it.

　In order to use their Phase 2 abilities consistently, they need to face their internal problems.
　For that reason, he wanted them to feel free to talk about their problems and concerns.

　That's when Chihaya came to me first for advice.

(What if they ask me how to make my breasts bigger? What if they ask me how to make my breasts bigger?

　Or rather, it was barren to think about such things in this form, I thought.
　However, it was a completely different topic of conversation that was mentioned by the huge body that almost covered my vision, Kano Chihaya.

It's about Ozashiki-kun.
The ozashikun's.

　Ozashiki Do-suke. He is the ace striker of the soccer club where Kabeno is the manager.
　In spite of his illustrious career, he is extremely thin on the ground. It is not uncommon for him to go out with his close friends and find himself in a group of friends, only to find that there is one too many of them. I know that he's a lucky boy, but conversely, I don't know much more than that.
　Rin doesn't know anything about him or his character at all.

　Come to think of it, Kabeano is relatively close to Ozaashiki.

''What's up with Ozaji-kun?''
'As I recall, the monster's current form is a reflection of a spiritual one, isn't it?
It seems so. I'm all fluffy, Kyousuke is empty but strong at the core, Hino-kun is a thing and hot, and Sachi-chan... well, Sachi-chan... well, yeah.

　Judging from the way he speaks, does Kabeeno have some idea of the problem that Ozaashiki is facing?

He said, "Ozaashiki-kun is not very good at talking and doesn't really assert himself. I thought that might be the reason why you became a Zashiki child...
'I don't think Zashiki Doji is a character that's overshadowed...'

　But if that's what my good friend, Kabeano, says, then it must be so.

'So, what do you think I should do about Oza-chan?'
What?

　When Rin asked while laying out the nuts she had fumbled with on the ground, Kano raised her gaze as if she had been struck with a blank stare.
　Perhaps he raised his gaze, I suppose. To be honest, I'm not sure. At any rate, I don't have my eyes on him. I'm not sure if this is the case or not, but I'm sure it is.

I'm not a fan of that. I don't know, that's why I'm not consulting Himemizu-san for help!
But don't you have any ideas about how things should be done better, Ozaji-kun?
'It's just that...well...yeah, but...'

　Pooh, a light pink effect appeared on the black, marble-like wall. He blushed.

　The slime and Nurikabe (monolith) talking from the front is an ultra-philosophical space that would be roughly insane to a mere mortal looking at it in silence, but from their point of view, it's serious.
　After a few moments of silence, Kano said in a low voice, "You need to say something more clearly.

''It would be helpful if you could say something more firmly...''
Haha. Oh, I see.

　Roughly, Rin guessed.

''It's true, I'd feel uneasy if you didn't say it firmly and clearly...''
What?
No, I'm just saying.

　You can't just tilt your head back and let it slide.

Well, I'll take care of it. I don't know if I can do it. I'll think of something.
'Really?　Thanks, Himemizu, that's a big help!

　Why would solving Ozaiki-kun's problem help Chi-chan? What a nasty thing to say, but I decided not to.
　Kabeno went back into the forest again, skipping lightly, as if she felt somewhat lighter than before. It was only then that Rin realized that the Nurikabe girl actually moved by hovering on a regular basis.

''But, Chi-chan, Oza-chan, hey, Oza-chan...''

　It's an understandable and unintelligible story.

　Nurikabe and Zashiki-Doji. Do they balance each other out? Rin wanted to tilt her head back, but like Chihaya Kano, she wasn't equipped with the lofty institution of a head. She wanted to go back to being a vertebrate as soon as possible.




　Then, for an hour or two. I looked around to make sure I wasn't too far from the landmarks, but in the end, I didn't find anything that would give me a clue. The best we could find was nuts, and there was no proof that they were edible or not. I tasted a bit of it, and while I didn't feel anything like a toxin, it wasn't particularly tasty either.

''----hmm.''

　Rin was thinking about Gozashiki Do-suke as she busily gathered nuts.

Mr....

　Indeed, Gozashiki is a reclusive boy, not unlike the ace striker of the soccer club. Before his reincarnation, he was also short, and if you put him side by side with Wallino, there was a gap of nearly 15 centimeters. Even compared to Rin, who is a bit petite even among the girls, his height didn't change much.
　A petite boy and a tall girl. I remember there was a shoujo manga like that, too. The girls over there were much more glamorous, though.

"---Himemizu-san.

　But I knew they were good together.

Himemizu-san!
"Phew!

　When he was suddenly called out from behind, Himemizu Rin showed the leaping power that is typical of slime. She jumped up and down.

''Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh!　What!　Don't talk to me out of the blue, you scared me to death!
No I've been calling you for a long time now, but...

　A boy popped up from behind a tree and gave a troubled smile.
　He has an adorable, girl-like face and a bun-shaped head. With a ball in his hand and a smile on his face, he is the much talked about person who was reincarnated as a Zashiki Doji, the very same Gozashiki Doji. He used to be short in stature, but as he became a monster, he became even smaller. He was probably only about the size of a fifth or sixth year elementary school student.

''Oh, I see. Sorry, I'm sorry. So, what?
Mr. Himemizu, you said earlier that you were welcome to come to me with anything that was troubling you.
Uh-huh. I said it. I said it.

　That's what Sakkichi-chan came to say, too..., he added in his mind.
　It was a development I hadn't hoped for, that Ozaji would come directly to me and say it. It means that he is aware of the problem within himself and he is trying to face it. If that's the case, all that's left is to give him a little push and let him say his 'true feelings' to Wallenot....

"You know what I mean about Mr. Kano?
Oh, what?
It's like you're building a wall between our minds. It's hard for me to communicate with you.... That's why I've become a wallflower, I think.

　I thought the consultation was about Ozaji-kun. Rin keeps tsking in the silence.

''How can I say, I'm a bit slow. Mr. Kabeno......... That's why what I'm trying to say doesn't come across as well....
Well, well, yeah..... It's true, I hope you're aware of my thoughts and feelings........

　Rin's words are much more painful as she recalls her earlier conversation with Wallino.

''Ozaashiki-kun, do you have something you want to say to Chi-chan...?
It's not that I'm not, but...

　When I ask, Gosashiki blushes a little and looks away. They are easy to understand.

　Anyway, I have a rough idea. I'm very jealous that they are so close to each other. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to find a solution to this problem. Why should I go to the trouble of taking care of someone else's love life when I'm worried about my lover getting cuckolded?

'Well, yeah. Well, well, well. It's fine. I'll take care of it...
Yeah..... Thanks, Himemizu-san.

　Ozashiki chuckled with a smile like a girl's, or rather a childish girl's, smile, and before he knew it, he had disappeared in front of Rin's eyes. Come to think of it, I think this is the first time I've seen him speak since I was reincarnated in this world.

''Oh my god, totally. You should at least confess to him yourself, right?

　Rin is complaining and gathering up the nuts, but she doesn't realize that she, too, hasn't made a proper confession to Kyousuke.
　And speaking of not not noticing, he was understandably unaware of the blazing eyes that stared at Rin's figure from behind the forest bushes.