Chapter Sixteen: The Black Cat Is... Prejudice Against Otakus

“So you’re that eager to see me naked? What a pervert,” Qi retorted, catching Ayase off guard and leaving her speechless for a moment. Truthfully, the sharpness of her tongue reminded him of Black Cat, so he didn’t find her particularly unpleasant. What did surprise him, though, was how drastically her demeanor had changed since the bathroom—her personality now seemed entirely different.

“Hey, pervert, go find me something to wear. I doubt you want to keep staring at my—”

“Spare me your filthy words and just go die, thanks. I don’t have any boys’ clothes, and you’d better not think about wearing mine. I won’t have my clothes contaminated by a cross-dressing pervert like you—if you touch them, they’ll never be clean again and will have to be burned.” Ayase rattled off her words in one breath, then suddenly realized that someone else was lurking behind her shadow. No matter how she moved, that shadow remained, which felt strangely unsettling.

“If you don’t bring me some clothes soon, I’ll just crawl right into your bed. Then you can burn the whole thing,” Qi remarked coolly.

“Drop dead, you disgusting, perverted creep. Just wait, I’ll go find you some cast-offs if I have to,” Ayase huffed, clearly reluctant, and turned to look for spare clothes.

“No need. By the time you come back, dawn will have broken,” Qi said. As they spoke, he’d already gathered enough spiritual energy to reach a single energy point. He materialized a set of clothes Black Cat had given him and put them on. He’d never worn anything like this before, but as long as it covered him, it would suffice.

When Qi reappeared in Ayase’s line of sight, he was already dressed, albeit in an odd assortment of garments. “Don’t ask anything right now. Let me ask you a few questions first,” he said, his tone serious.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Ayase steadied her emotions with admirable poise. She sat on her bed and gestured for Qi to take the chair at her desk. With a polite smile, she said, “My apologies for earlier. If you have questions, please ask. I hope that, in exchange, you’ll share some information I’m allowed to know. I would appreciate it.” She took a sip of water to calm herself.

“Is this Earth? Or Japan?” Qi asked, in what could only be described as a classic alien query, causing Ayase to spit out her tea.

In a flash, Qi snatched the cup and handed it back to her.

“Is there something wrong with what I said?” Qi asked in his usual flat tone.

Ayase glanced down at her cup, not a drop spilled, and set it on her nightstand. With a composed smile, she replied, “I apologize for my rudeness. Yes, this is Earth, and we are in Japan. Japan is on Earth.”

“I see, so it really is Japan? I suspected as much, since you were speaking Japanese. I’m looking for someone in Japan, but all I have is her name and appearance. How should I go about it?”

“You’re searching for someone? Is it a girl? What’s your relationship? Knowing that would help a lot. No other reason for asking,” Ayase said, curiosity piqued.

“Put your sparkling eyes away. I’ll draw you her portrait; it’ll make the search easier.”

“Wow, you can draw? Are you an alien, someone from the future, or from ancient times?” Ayase leaned in, intrigued.

“None of those. Why is this pencil so strange? Doesn’t it need ink?” Qi mused, toying with the pencil she’d handed him. “And don’t get so close. Even if you bare your chest to tempt me, I won’t fall for it.”

“Die, you filthy, perverted scoundrel! Try anything and I’ll accuse you of harassment!” Ayase shouted, her face crimson, and swung a punch at Qi’s left cheek.

“I’m drawing, don’t make a scene. This pencil is quite handy—no need for ink. But your attacks are too weak; even a beginner in martial arts could do better.” Qi, holding the pencil as if it were a calligraphy brush, sketched rapidly, his hand a blur. With a casual wave of his left hand, he blocked all ten of Ayase’s flustered punches.

“Damn you! When someone else finally beats you to a pulp, I’ll be back every day to bully you,” Ayase fumed.

“Are you implying you’ll be sticking around for the rest of your life?” Qi asked, uncertain.

“Gross. Disgusting. There’s no implication, only the literal meaning. And only an ancient would not know how to use a pencil. We don’t have polygamy here, and no woman is forced to marry just because someone saw her undressed,” Ayase said, arms crossed, looking at him with utter disdain.

“Is that really the law here? Your emperor must be a good one,” Qi remarked in surprise.

“There’s no emperor anymore—oh, forget it. Explaining it to you would be a waste. Figure it out yourself,” Ayase said, exasperated.

“Alright, take a look at my drawing.” Qi picked up the portrait and handed it to her. “Her name is Black Cat, but she later told me her real name is Ruri Gokou. Sometimes she’ll speak in ways I can’t understand and call herself ‘Queen of the Night Demons.’”

“How… incredible. It’s like a black-and-white photo. Why does she have three names—a Black Cat, a Queen of Night Demons, and this outfit… Is she some kind of dark sorceress or something? But Ruri Gokou sounds like a Japanese name.” Ayase was astonished by his drawing and full of questions.

“Aren’t these Japanese clothes? Black Cat’s just an ordinary girl. She weaves these clothes herself—this one I’m wearing is made by her. I thought everyone here dressed like this.”

“How could anyone wear that?” Ayase exclaimed, her face showing clear disgust. “I get it now—you’re looking for an otaku with disgusting tastes. I’ve seen news reports—one well-known journalist called otaku ‘criminals-in-waiting.’ There was a case where a criminal tried to electrocute a girl, and he confessed he was imitating a game called ‘True Little Sister Massacre.’ People who like these games and anime are all potential criminals. In short, the woman you’re looking for is bad news.”

Qi’s expression instantly turned cold, his icy gaze making Ayase feel short of breath and pale with fear. “First, I don’t really understand what you mean by ‘otaku.’ I don’t know about what you’re describing, so I have no right to speak on it. But I haven’t known Black Cat for long, and yet we’ve been through life and death together, never abandoning each other’s safety. She may not be good at expressing herself, quick to blush, and as sharp-tongued as you, but she’s loyal and righteous—a good woman, willing to face death by my side. On this matter, I—have—a—right—to—speak—unlike—you.”

Ayase’s face blanched, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back, staring at Qi with defiance.

“Whatever, I won’t argue with you. Once I learn what this world and ‘otaku’ really are, I’ll debate you then. For now, let’s discuss your plan for finding Black Cat,” Qi said, withdrawing his oppressive aura.

Though still indignant, Ayase kept her silence after that scare. “Hmph! From the look of her, she’s a middle-schooler. Weekdays, try the local middle schools; weekends, check Akihabara—that’s otaku heaven. There, you have your information. Now get out. Goodbye—no, I hope we never meet again.”

“I regret to inform you that I’m staying here tonight. In fact, I plan to live here for a while, at least until I find Black Cat. Only then will I leave,” Qi replied coolly.

“What? Are you kidding me? You—you—perverted, filthy criminal! Are you planning to attack me in my sleep, you depraved maniac?” Ayase shrieked, clutching her blanket and shrinking into a corner.

“I’m just informing you; you don’t get a say. If you keep shouting and your parents come, I’ll knock them out and tie them up. Do you understand?” Qi ignored her and went to the bookshelf, pulling out a random book to read.

“Sharing a room with a pervert like you is disgusting, and threatening a girl with violence is despicable. Do you hear me, you perverted scum? And stop rifling through my books! You can’t even read them, so stop pretending to be serious. Hypocrite!” Although she kept up the tirade, her voice was noticeably quieter—Qi’s earlier display of force had clearly intimidated her.

“Black Cat taught me Japanese and how to read it. These are simple texts—I mastered them in a day. Which eye of yours thinks I’m not reading seriously? I’m desperate to absorb knowledge of this world as quickly as possible,” Qi replied without turning around.

“I’ve never heard of anyone who flips two pages a second being considered a serious reader.”

“Mortal wisdom. Have you ever met anyone from another world before?”

“Uh… Oh, so you’re from another world, not the past. Still, even in another world, I’ve never heard of that. By the way, is the person you’re looking for Japanese? How did you two meet?”

“Are all girls this mercurial? You’ve already changed faces several times tonight. Go to sleep—you have to get up early tomorrow, don’t you?”

“How could I sleep with a perverted freak like you around? I’m usually gentle with people, but not with perverted scum like you. How can I possibly be nice?”

“…You make a fair point, though I’m not a pervert. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll take a stack of books up to the roof to read. Once I finish, I’ll come back for more. While I’m out, you can sleep in peace.” With that, Qi gathered a pile of books, leapt out the window, and disappeared from Ayase’s sight.

Ayase stared blankly at the window, then at the nearly empty bookshelf, and sighed in resignation. She still had school tomorrow. Maybe, she thought, if she woke up in the morning, she’d find it had all been a dream. With a faint sense of hope, she gradually drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Qi sat silently on the rooftop, reading and cultivating his spiritual power, channeling it into his compendium. Based on his previous experience, his entire reserve of spiritual energy could be converted into about five energy points. After spiritual cleansing, his body grew stronger—regaining his peak condition would take three hours, and if things went well, he’d have fifteen energy points by dawn.

…