Chapter Twenty-Two: Challenging the Twelve Young Heroes of the Hidden Leaf—Pure Cotton White Suits You Perfectly
(Page 1/3)
(More than twenty chapters in and not a single vote. I know I’m not expecting to make it onto any rankings, but this kind of complete silence, not even a comment—does anyone actually read this book? If you’re out there, please show yourself, at least let me know someone is still reading, give me a bit of confidence, will you?)
This turn of events was something Ayase hadn’t anticipated at all, and she didn’t know what to do. Kirino, her face stricken with fear, stammered, “A-A-Ayase... is he dead? Could he be an escaped convict?”
Ayase, not bothering to put on her dress, hurried forward with trembling hands. When she felt that Qi was still breathing, she let out a sigh of relief. “Kirino, he’s not dead yet. Let’s move him onto the bed, shall we?”
Kirino pulled her phone from her bag. “Let’s call the police, Ayase. Something like this is best left to them, right?”
“That’s not necessary, actually. I... I know this person. He’s not a bad guy. Let’s just get him onto the bed first, okay?” Ayase stammered awkwardly.
“You know him?” Kirino looked from Ayase to Qi in surprise. Although she was taken aback, she didn’t press for details. She went over and, with Ayase, turned Qi over.
“This... you really know him?” The reason Kirino asked again was the sight of the two bony horns on Qi’s forehead and the two round holes in the floor, proof those horns weren’t fake. Kirino felt a bit lost.
It wasn’t just Kirino; even Ayase was momentarily stunned. Thankfully, she’d grown somewhat used to surprises. She bit her lip and said, “I’ll explain later. Let’s lift him up first.”
“Yeah, we’re friends. I trust you, Ayase,” Kirino said seriously.
“Thank you, Kirino,” Ayase replied, moved. Together, they laid Qi on the bed. His face was deathly pale, completely drained of color.
Qi slowly opened his eyes and managed to say, “The wounds will heal. Thank you, Ayase. And don’t go up the mountain.” With that, he lapsed back into unconsciousness.
Ayase breathed a sigh of relief, but Kirino suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t this the same shut-in from yesterday? So you really do know him, Ayase?”
“Yeah. But let’s get dressed first... He woke up just now, didn’t he?” It was only then that the two realized he’d seen them undressed. Both blushed furiously. “I was just going over some notes when suddenly a rift appeared in my room...” Ayase recounted a slightly modified version of events as she wiped away the blood Qi had coughed up.
...
“Well, this kid’s pretty sharp! Managed to fool them all, but I like it. Favorability increased by one!” The god, watching Qi feigning serious injury and unconsciousness on the screen, nodded approvingly. Beside him, a gentle silver-haired woman watched with eyes full of tenderness and affection.
...
Qi was indeed only pretending to sleep; otherwise, he would never have gotten away with it. Now that he was safe, he started reviewing his previous battle, wondering if he’d handled things in the best way possible. He had a total of 1,260 energy points. He’d only exchanged for a storage pouch and two sets of clothes, costing him forty-four points, but for the past two days, he’d been maintaining peak condition, feeding spiritual energy to Qidian, which had boosted his reserves.
After two battles, Qi could feel his shortcomings. His explosive power was sufficient, but his basic combat abilities were lacking. He wondered if he could use that thousand-plus energy points to trade with the mad god for something to strengthen his fundamentals. Much as he wanted to try, he was supposed to be “unconscious.” He would never stoop to using Qidian’s memory-erasing feature for trivial matters.
After the two girls finished their lively discussion, they began to wonder how Qi had gotten injured. Their suspicions were confirmed when they found the most prominent headline on Qi’s computer: “Monster Battle in XX City, Chiba Prefecture—Video Evidence.” Kirino clicked on it. The footage was blurry and shot from afar, but the blue and white serpents were unmistakably terrifying, set against the familiar backdrop of Chiba Prefecture and a mountain that now looked almost entirely destroyed.
(Page 1/3)
(Page 2/3)
The video lasted only about ten minutes, but it captured everything—from the two serpents clashing, to fighter jets unleashing their full firepower and nearly being wiped out, to the appearance of a handsome demon who saved the day, killed the blue serpent with a single kick, and subdued the white one, after which the footage grew hazy, as though shrouded in a white veil.
Kirino swallowed nervously and forced a smile. “Why do that demon’s clothes look so familiar? And those two horns—blurry, but they look familiar too.”
Ayase glanced at Qi lying on the bed, then at the formidable demon on the screen, and gave a wry smile. “They don’t look familiar to me at all.” Although Kirino wanted to wait for Qi to wake up—after all, she was very interested in other worlds and mysterious energies—it was getting too late and she had to go home.
Ayase needed to eat as well. Following her usual routine, she ate, studied, and then showered. When she returned, Qi was already sitting cross-legged on the floor, meditating. “How’s your injury? Is it still serious?”
“It’ll be better by tomorrow. Thanks for your concern.”
The night passed peacefully. The next day, some went to school, others went searching. Interestingly, Qi found himself at Sakura Academy’s middle school division, where he met Ayase and the girl named Kirino. Among them was another girl with twin red ponytails, her build as petite as a grade-schooler’s.
He hadn’t intended to disturb them, but Ayase’s intuition was especially keen lately, and she unexpectedly discovered Qi’s presence. After some explaining, Qi managed to avoid being branded a stalker, and thanks to Kirino’s invitation, he spent the morning wandering around Sakura Academy, waiting for their classes to end.
“You seem bored like this. Here’s a challenge—complete it and I’ll let you see Black Cat,” the god suddenly popped up.
“No need. I’ve already found a way to contact Black Cat. Besides, I’m not bored.”
“You’re not, but I am. If you don’t go, I’ll kidnap Black Cat to force your hand.”
“Could you be any more shameless?”
“I, as a god, threaten you with the fate of all humanity. You have no right to refuse.”
Qi’s expression was calm, his eyes flickering. “You’re stronger, so you call the shots.” He agreed.
“I sense deep malice from you, but as you said, power determines who gets to speak. Here’s the challenge: I call it ‘Solo Challenge: The Twelve Leaf Village Prodigies.’”
“The Twelve Leaf Village Prodigies—so twelve people? When and where?”
“Anytime you like, but until you finish, you won’t see your beloved Black Cat. The venue is still that mountain, but I’ve remodeled it into a vast arena.”
“Understood.” Qi made no move to rush over but instead began his preparations.
At noon, after school, Ayase and Kirino went up to the legendary school rooftop. Normally, it was locked, but with Qi there, that was no obstacle.
“So this is what the rooftop looks like? Feels just like in those ga—cough, cough. Anyway, I have a few questions for you,” Kirino, having met Qi twice before, was the first to speak, calling out to him as he lounged in the sun.
(Page 2/3)
(Page 3/3)
“There are some secrets I can’t guarantee I’ll share. The sunlight is warm—why not lie down and soak some in?” Qi replied calmly with a smile.
“Tch, not afraid of being purified by the sun, little demon? Lunch break isn’t long. Ayase and I still need to eat.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not a demon. If you’ve got something to ask, make it quick—I’ll be leaving for a while this afternoon, found a lead.”
“Pervert. Disgusting. Don’t think pretending to sunbathe hides what you’re really after, trying to sneak a peek up our skirts. I’ll call the police, you know. I’ve wanted you gone for ages; it’d be best if you found your shut-in Black Cat and never came back. Hmph. Kirino, let’s sit over there.”
“Did I just hear a hint of jealousy in your voice?” Qi teased lightly.
“Drop dead, loser.”
“Ahem. Let me i