Anime Crossover: The Losing Heroines Have Become Witches

Chapter 559 554: Preparing for the Return Journey

"Consider this as you owing me one." When they returned to Hitori's side, Asakura said to the girl.

"Eh?" Hitori, who had just been speaking ill of Asakura behind his back, was startled.

"Making it possible for ordinary people to see spiritual bodies is a very troublesome matter. Since I've done such a troublesome thing, it's not too much for me to collect some interest, right?" Asakura said, staring at her.

This wasn't him intentionally looking for an excuse to get close to the girl; rather, Asakura himself truly didn't have a particularly good way to grant ordinary people spiritual vision, and could only achieve this by making a wish to the fox monstrosity.

Granted, as the master of the fox monstrosity, the other party didn't have the guts to collect an excessive reward from Asakura (like a soul or something) as it would from ordinary people. However, because this kind of "transaction" was itself part of how the fox monstrosity exercised its abilities, the process would get stuck if it wasn't done this way, and the fox monstrosity would lose the convenient ability to "grant wishes" to a certain extent in the future.

As a substitute for the originally high price, even for a wish that wasn't difficult, the fox monstrosity would still drain a considerable amount of magic power from Asakura. Because the collection process was a one-time thing, and "Limited Infinity" was part of Asakura's mana bar, it would only be collected once. There was no way to exploit a bug to get wishes for free, so normally, Asakura would at most call out the fox monstrosity to act as a thug and wouldn't make wishes to it.

"N-not too much!" the girl immediately responded like a reflex.

"That's good," Asakura nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Nadeshiko, who for some reason was shrinking in a corner, seemingly facing the wall. "What's wrong with Ms. Kagamihara?"

"That..." Hitori said hurriedly for some reason: "She's... she's probably angry because I refused to give her all of my dinner's main course as compensation... p-probably..."

The innkeeper's wife nearby must have heard Hitori's words. She wiped her tears and looked at them with a kind smile, saying: "Young Mr. Asakura has helped us so much; I really don't know how to express my gratitude. So, whether it's lunch or dinner, no matter how much you want to eat, it's no problem. I will use everything I've learned in my life to make sure you eat your fill and are fully satisfied!"

"Aba aba..." Hitori, who hadn't expected the landlady to strike up a conversation, first lost her verbal function for a moment due to nervousness, then instinctively said: "Th-thank you!"

"It should be us saying thank you."

"Alright, let's stop thanking each other, or we'll end up in an infinite loop," Asakura called a halt to the pleasantries from both sides. "Instead of that, it's better to prepare lunch early. I'm hungry."

"No problem, I'll go prepare it right away!"

Watching the innkeeper's family hurry away, Nadeshiko, who had been facing the wall, seemed to have finally recovered—from an angle Asakura couldn't see just now, the girl's entire face had turned as red as a boiled shrimp because she had been overthinking things.

She lamented: "Even if it's only for a little while, being able to have a family reunion should be somewhat of a consolation for the boss and the others..."

"What are you talking about? Their child's spirit hasn't left yet," Asakura said.

"Eh? But haven't we been unable to see him since just a moment ago?"

As an ordinary person, she had also been included in Asakura's wish to the fox earlier, being granted a simple layer of spiritual vision, which allowed her to see the ghost boy.

"He... he possessed that person named Kitahara," Hitori whispered.

"P-possessed?! Can ghosts really possess people like in horror movies?" Nadeshiko asked in surprise.

"Normally it's not possible, but I provided a little bit of help here," Asakura said—referring to his magic power being drained.

"Phew, so it's normally not possible. You gave me a scare," Nadeshiko sighed with relief.

"If possession could happen easily, wouldn't the world have fallen into chaos long ago..." Asakura waved his hand. "Rather, there aren't many people in this world who can actually turn into ghosts after death."

"That's true."

Nadeshiko thought about the scene of the deceased being able to occupy the bodies of the living at will and felt that it was indeed the case.

If ghosts were that powerful, what would be the point of being human?

Grumble...

"My stomach starts to feel hungry the moment I relax."

"Then let's look forward to the meal."

As Asakura spoke, he gave a kick to the fox monstrosity lying on the ground.

With a whimper, it dived into Asakura's shadow and vanished instantly.

Asakura was about to head to the inn's dining hall when he noticed Hitori leaning against the window, looking at something outside.

"Hitori, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Hitori looked out the window in confusion. "It... it should just be... my imagination."

"Imagination?" Asakura looked at Nadeshiko doubtfully.

Nadeshiko looked out the window. Gloomy, pitch-black clouds covered the sky, and even the sea surface had turned into a sheet of black. The wind and rain raged, fully displaying the terror of a natural disaster.

But other than that, there was nothing strange.

"Since there's nothing there, let's hurry to the dining hall. I wonder what kind of food the landlady will make. It would be great if there's hamburger steak~" Nadeshiko, who couldn't see anything unusual, took Hitori's hand and led the girl out of the room.

As Asakura passed the window before heading out, he also glanced at the sea surface that was surging violently in the typhoon.

Then he saw it.

On the sea, a pitch-black thing like a small mountain stood tall, remaining motionless no matter how large the waves were.

Using a yacht that was being tossed toward it by the typhoon as a reference, the height of that thing above the sea surface alone had already exceeded thirty meters.

That was definitely not a towering reef or a lighthouse.

Because at its peak, there were two huge, hollow eyes staring directly at the inn.

But in just an instant, that monster that looked like a living mountain vanished, as if it had never appeared, making it seem as if what he saw just now was merely an illusion caused by the thick cirrus clouds.

Asakura withdrew his gaze and did nothing, simply following the girls' footsteps and discussing the possible dishes for today with them.

Staying indoors during typhoon weather is actually quite boring. It would be fine if there was internet, but at this time, the public facilities around the inn had been damaged to varying degrees. Not to mention the internet, even electricity and water were a bit of a problem.

Therefore, after a very sumptuous lunch, Asakura and the others could only huddle together to play cards to pass the time.

As for the boss's family (including Kitahara Iori), they had already returned to their own rooms, intending to cherish every minute they could spend together.

"I'm not playing anymore!"

Nadeshiko, whose face was covered with paper strips, cried and collapsed onto the tatami. "It's one thing for Asakura-kun, but why is Ms. Gotō so good at Old Maid too!"

Asakura thought to himself that it was because whether she was drawing a normal card or the joker, the expression on Hitori's face was equally abstract.

On the other hand, Nadeshiko's facial expressions were quite rich and she wasn't very good at hiding them, so even Hitori could accurately pull the safe card from her hand while saying sorry.

"I... I'll pour some tea for everyone..." Hitori said.

However, unlike the tea that Asagumo would brew from scratch, when Hitori said she would pour tea, she literally just picked up a large bottle of barley tea and poured it into Asakura and the others' cups...

"After the typhoon, where does Asakura-kun plan to travel next?" Nadeshiko, who had temporarily given up on playing cards, asked Asakura.

"As for where exactly we're going, I haven't actually decided yet. I feel like there are several options that are quite good," Asakura said, looking somewhat conflicted.

"Then why don't you come with me? I know a campsite that's super awesome, and you can even see Mount Fuji!"

The girl asked immediately.

"I can't right now. After the matters here are finished, I have to head back to Tokyo first," Asakura declined the girl's invitation.

"I... I see..." Nadeshiko said, her sapphire-blue eyes downcast with regret. "So Asakura-kun is going back to Tokyo..."

"Yeah, because Comic Market is about to start soon," Asakura said.

"Comi... what?" The girl was momentarily dazed.

"Natsu-Comi, CM, Summer Comiket, Japan's dōjinshi festival... Ms. Kagamihara, have you never heard of it? It's supposed to be quite famous." Asakura replied, "I promised someone before that I would go to this Natsu-Comi with her. It just so happens that I'm actually very interested in it too. I had intended to check it out two years ago, but it's been dragged out until now due to various issues."

Of course, the main reason for not going to CM the previous two years was a lack of money...

"I see."

Nadeshiko knew that Asakura wasn't intentionally trying to avoid going camping with her, and she couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of relief.

But then she became a bit concerned about the "someone" he mentioned. However, even a slightly airheaded girl like Nadeshiko knew she didn't have the standing to ask such questions. She could only swallow her words, her expression turning somewhat gloomy.

Thus, a thousand words were condensed into a single sentence: "Um, can I go along too?"

Asakura showed a somewhat conflicted expression.

This caused the girl's heart to sink instantly.

"I don't mind, personally, but for a beginner, that kind of place can be quite grueling," Asakura said.

"Grueling?" The girl, who had originally thought Asakura was talking about an activity similar to a summer festival, was stunned.

"After all, it's an event with over five hundred thousand visitors over three days. Not just for buying things—even the line for the restroom requires waiting. If you don't have the conviction to back you up, even just walking a lap inside is torture," Asakura warned.

"Five hundred thousand...?"

Nadeshiko's eyes turned into "dot eyes"; for a moment, her brain simply could not imagine what a spectacular sight five hundred thousand people would be.

"Five hundred thousand!" Asakura nodded. "That's why some people refer to the act of attending Comic Market as a 'Holy War.' Well, though people don't seem to call it that much lately; in a sense, it can be considered a 'tear of the times.'"

"Then I'll pass..." Nadeshiko sighed.

It wasn't that she was afraid of a so-called Holy War; she just felt that in a pure event composed entirely of enthusiasts, someone like her—who didn't like the activity and had impure motives for attending—would feel a subtle sense of guilt toward them.

It was about time to make a decision, the girl told herself in her heart.

Hitori, clutching a bottle of barley tea, retreated quietly, intending to shrink into a corner to avoid Asakura's gaze and escape a conversation that seemed to be heading in a strange direction.

In the end, she was caught by Asakura anyway.

"Hitori, are you going to participate? Natsu-Comi."

"...The one you're going to with Asakura-kun, it's that black-haired girl we saw at the uniform discussion meeting (referring to Yukino), right?" Hitori confirmed with Asakura.

"That's right, the black-haired one (referring to Ruri). You remember quite clearly," Asakura praised.

"I... I can't do it!" The girl collapsed onto the tatami in an "OTZ" posture and wailed, "Just thinking about being together with five hundred thousand people of that child's (Yukino's) kind... I feel like I'd melt just from them looking at me with those icy eyes..."

"Even though that child (Ruri) looks cold, she's actually very easy to talk to. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask her. She's a textbook tsundere."

"Ugh, even so... even so..."

"And Hitori, think about it—doesn't your band perform at live houses? The audience is looking at you then, too."

"W-well, that's true, but..."

"Now the audience has just become five hundred thousand people. There's no real difference, right?"

"Th-that number is the biggest problem!"

Even though Asakura tried his best to persuade her, Hitori desperately shook her head in refusal. Even knowing that the vast majority at CM were hardcore otaku rather than "normies," it seemed there really was no way to take Hitori along to Comic Market this time.

☆

The next day, a clear, sunny day.

The torrential rain of the previous night seemed to have washed away all the dust on the road. The sky was so clear and deep blue it was almost transparent, as if yesterday's violent wind and rain had all been fake.

Fragmented leaves clung to the damp road surface, and the air carried the fresh scent of earth. Golden sunlight spilled down, making the world look as if it had been polished anew. Though the sound of waves could still be heard nearby, it gave off a sense of tranquility and purity.

"I am truly grateful to you." At the entrance of the inn, the old man thanked Asakura once again. "If it weren't for you all, I really don't know how this would have ended... Takuya surely wouldn't have been able to pass on in peace, either."

"No need to be so polite. One can only say it was a chance encounter."

Asakura waved his hand. "That fellow's name is Kitahara Iori, right? He'll probably have a minor illness for the next couple of days; I'll have to trouble you to look after him."

"It is only right," the old man nodded.

"Then that's that. We'll be taking our leave."

Asakura was the first to get into the old Ford car, rolling down the window and making a "hurry back inside" gesture to the old man.

Hitori also bowed slightly to the old man in farewell, then sat in the back seat without a word.

"Grandpa, we're leaving now~!" Nadeshiko also waved to the old man. "Give my thanks to Grandma; the food she made was especially delicious!"

"I will." The old man looked at the girl and spoke with heavy heart, "Also, though it might be me meddling... if I were to say I have any insights from this failed life of mine, it's that when you want to do something, do your best to do it. Not letting life leave regrets is the best way to live."

"Yes, I understand." Nadeshiko also revealed a bright and cheerful smile.

Then, after bidding farewell to the old man once more, the girl also got into the car and sat beside Hitori. Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to Nadeshiko's presence over the past two days, Hitori did not show her habitual shrinking movements and appeared a bit more natural.

The old man just stood at the entrance, watching the old Ford drive straight ahead until it vanished at the bend. Only then did he stoop his back and turn to look at the inn where he had lived for most of his life.

"It's about time to say goodbye to you, old friend... After the shop is closed, I'll go travel the world with the old woman..."

Inside the old Ford.

"By the way, Asakura-kun, aren't you going to continue the investigation?" Nadeshiko asked curiously. "That rumor about the Umi Bozu."

"There's no longer any need for investigation," Asakura replied while driving.

"But didn't that ritual succeed? Even if the one called back by Grandpa and the others wasn't their child..." the girl said. "Doesn't that imply that the Umi Bozu exists?"

"Though it's a bit of a tangent, Ms. Kagamihara, do you know what people become after they die in the sea?"

"...Fish poop?"

"..."

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't say things like that at a time like this..."

"For ordinary people, dead is dead. Some people with stronger spiritual sensitivity who die in a shipwreck become 'Drowning Spirits' who wander the site of the accident, never able to reach the shore. Those with better luck might be bound to the ship where the shipwreck occurred, becoming a different kind of 'Earthbound Spirit'."

Asakura finally explained.

"I see... Huh?" Nadeshiko frowned.

"Correct. Regardless of the case, it's impossible for the boss's deceased child to appear on the shore, let alone specifically guide us to the inn to save the boss and his wife who were in a precarious situation," Asakura said.

"And the ritual the landlady performed was a failure from the start; it didn't have the power to call someone back from the sea. So, who was it that sent Takuya—the boss's son—back to the vicinity of the inn?"

"Furthermore, after the landlady's ritual failed, the thing she summoned theoretically shouldn't have had much constraint. At most, she and the boss wouldn't be harmed by it. Yet they kept that thing in an inn where people come and go for quite a long time, but it wasn't until Kitahara Iori appeared that someone actually got hurt."

Asakura said, "So, who was it that acted as a link in place of the correct ritual, placing a constraint on that thing so it couldn't harm humans?"

"Was it the Umi Bozu?" Nadeshiko asked thoughtfully.

"Probably. But at least it proves that it's different from the image in myths and legends; it really doesn't have any malice toward humans. It doesn't need to be dealt with."

Asakura thought for a bit, but in the end, he didn't tell her that he and Hitori had actually seen the Umi Bozu last night.