Jobless Rising! ~I’ve Become a NEET. I Acquired Lewd Skills and Lived a Life of Sex in the Other World and in Japan. Before I Knew it, I Was Impregnating A Harem of Ladies?!~

Chapter 36: The Demon Fighter: Minato and Harakara

The next day, I slept until noon, offered some meat from the fridge to Cui, and ate my usual cornflakes with milk.

“Phew…”

My mind was on Schwarz-san’s mystery. They’ve got money, but why summon me to an abandoned building? I couldn’t figure it out.

(If they want to talk stones, a family restaurant would do, right? …Wait! No way…! Are they luring me out to gang up and beat me!?)

…Nah, no way. Why commit a crime over three lousy rocks?

This time, they’re paying 200,000 yen to meet in person, but otherwise, it’d be like last time—mail the stones and done.

So, they probably don’t care about me. It’s gotta be about the stones.

“Last time, they asked for convenience store pickup, right? Makes sense, not wanting to share their address with a stranger…”

But the delivery was to a Tokyo convenience store. I remember thinking the buyer was surprisingly local.

No use overthinking it. I’ll find out when I get there.

As long as I’m getting paid, I’m not backing out just because it’s weird.

“So, tonight I’m heading to the shady stone maniac’s abandoned building!”

‘Sounds good. If you score big cash, it brings us closer to unlocking my next Erotic Skill.’

Exactly! I’ll keep grinding for Hero Points and money…!

Minato Kokuryouin recalled yesterday’s exchange with Ebikani Mocchii.

(To think, at this timing…! Getting my hands on new stones…!)

Three stones, even more powerful than the last batch. For the isolated Minato, this was a huge ray of hope.

(Harakara hasn’t shown up yet…! But demons always move at night…!)

After classes, she’d head straight to her base—the abandoned building. There, she’d meet Ebikani Mocchii, who’d bring food and the stones, and she’d ask questions.

(Such powerful catalysts… Where and how did they get them? Do they have more? I’ve got tons of questions…!)

With Harakara possibly appearing at night, she wouldn’t have long to talk. But it’d be enough to learn about the stones.

Until yesterday, she’d been gloomy, but now she felt lighter. With three such powerful stones, defeating Harakara seemed possible.

(Every stone they list is special… Does Ebikani Mocchii know their power and sell them intentionally…? No, they must know. This can’t be a coincidence…!)

Surely, they’re an old stone expert with a sharp eye, honed from years handling minerals.

That’s the image Minato had of Ebikani Mocchii.

(…No idea about the name, though.)

The school bell rang. Minato quickly left her seat, hurrying toward the school gate. On the way, she bumped into another girl outside.

“…”

“Oh my! If it isn’t Minato-sama.”

The girl was Amari Motomune, from the same clan—a family dedicated to fighting demons.

The Kokuryouin family currently led the clan, but the Motomune family held that position before.

Their families’ history made them far from friendly. Amari often provoked Minato.

“Still alive, huh? Oh, or perhaps you’ve already defeated that Harakara? Well, well, as expected of the genius Minato-sama. Truly impressive!”

“…I haven’t fought Harakara yet.”

“Oh! Is that so? What a shame.”

Amari was thrilled about Minato’s predicament.

Minato, the genius and strongest of their generation, was always praised, while girls like Amari were constantly compared to her.

But now, with Harakara targeting Minato, things were shifting. Most likely, Minato would die.

“Your father must believe you can beat Harakara alone, hence this arrangement. I’d love to fight alongside you, Minato-sama, but…”

“No need. I’ll take down Harakara myself…!”

“My! The genius speaks with such confidence! To talk like that about Harakara, a true demon who’s lived for centuries—only Minato-sama could.”

As long as the genius Minato lived, the Kokuryouin family’s dominance would continue. But if she died here, the Motomune family might reclaim the clan’s leadership.

Amari’s eyes didn’t hide her glee.

“Spending another night in that gloomy abandoned building? How do you manage toilets or baths, Minato-sama?”

“…I handle it before going to the building.”

“Oh? I thought you’d be relieving yourself in that building at night. After all, if you went to a convenience store, you might drag civilians into a fight with Harakara, right?”

She was right. Minato bathed at a public bathhouse after school, but the toilet was trickier. She managed small needs in a corner of the building, though larger ones were tough.

“Done? I’d like to wash up soon.”

“Of course, go ahead! You wouldn’t want to come to school smelly tomorrow, would you? …If tomorrow comes, that is.”

“…”

Minato brushed past Amari, heading out the gate. She acted tough, but inside, she felt frustration.

(I know…! Even with three new stones…! Fighting Harakara, I’ll likely die…!)

If Harakara showed up tonight, she wouldn’t make it to school tomorrow. For days, Minato had been desperately thinking of ways to defy her approaching death.

(There’s no answer…! No one’s ever defeated Harakara alone…! But…!)

She wanted to live. She also wanted to prove Amari wrong. That frustration fueled her resolve to fight Harakara.

Negative emotions like these could absorb demonic energy. Trained clan members could wield that energy as Kyo-shin energy.

That’s how their clan had fought demons since ancient times.

(Even if today’s my last…! I’ll carve my mark on Harakara’s body…!)

Leaving school, Minato stopped at a bathhouse to wash up, then entered the abandoned building.

Inside, she had a simple tent, bedding, lighting, and a sword. At first, it felt cramped, but after a few days, she’d grown used to it.

Having endured harsh training, this environment was nothing new.

“My meeting with Ebikani Mocchii is a bit later…”

She mentally prepared her questions.

Why sell the stones? How many more like them? Where did they come from? Could she get them herself?

(They might demand money for info… I’ve got savings, so it’s negotiable…)