manga artist Kirito

Page 132

With a sigh, Rita seemed to understand why the pure white, as white as a drawing sheet, had become like this. The changes in the surrounding environment and the different people... had caused such a big change in her.

but!

How annoying, this blinding scene.

Hmph! How despicable!

With a straw in her pink lips, Rita puffed out her cheeks, looking like an adorable hamster, her unique elegance mingling with this tantrum-like behavior... Rita's princess-like demeanor vanished, replaced by a charmingly contrasting cuteness.

"And people, open your mouth."

Shiina Mashiro glanced at Asuna, who was holding his face in his hands and looking shy, then scooped a spoonful of ice cream and brought it to his lips, staring intently at him.

"……what?"

Neither Kiritani nor Asuna showed much emotion. After all, these two really treated Mashiro like their eldest daughter. If Rita wanted to feed Kiritani a dessert, Asuna's eyes would definitely sharpen instantly.

Similarly, Kiritani-san will once again feel a chill down his spine.

Kiritani calmly opened his mouth and ate the spoonful of dessert, while Asuna gently stroked Shiina Mashiro's hair, looking like a harmonious and happy family of three.

Rita noticed that superfluous feeling.

I initially thought that she and Shiina Mashiro were both superfluous here, like third wheels... but in reality, she was the only one who was superfluous.

Ugh! I want to die!

P.S.: It feels... a little sweet?

I think... this sour and pungent smell fills the screen.

299

【NO.296 Chiba Holiday (5)】

Subtitle: Hold these hands tight!

Everything has its shortcomings, whether it is a person or a thing.

I'm not expressing any sentimentality, I just want to say that even though I'm a jack-of-all-trades, there are actually many things I don't know how to do, like having a baby.

I can only manage half of this at most; there are many other things I am powerless to do.

Because I'm not an ordinary person, I've thought about this before—not about getting pregnant—I mean, why don't I become an exorcist?

If I knew those exorcism techniques, perhaps I wouldn't be afraid of any eerie atmosphere... Okay, okay, don't pull me, I'll go in with you now.

…………

Haunted House...

Kiritani-san knew perfectly well that there were no ghosts in the haunted house; there were only background music and unusual lighting to create that terrifying atmosphere, and the rest were staff members dressed in scary costumes—yes, Kiritani-kun didn't believe that such supernatural beings existed.

After all, you see, on the roller coaster we just saw no girl with a cowlick that could pierce a skull leading elementary school students in blue uniforms, and the pirate ship didn't have Jack...

"Hey, Gabriel, wait for me! Raphael just stole my pineapple bun!"

"Sadanya, don't wander off! Xiao Jia's over here!"

...Well, forget what I just said.

Kiritani-san stared blankly at the dark entrance to the haunted house. He knew its internal structure perfectly well, and even if he wanted to analyze it, it would be an extremely simple matter. If possible, Kiritani-san would like to explain it using science.

"...Okay, don't pull me, I'm not going to suddenly run away."

With a deadpan expression, Kiritani's left hand was being tightly gripped by Asuna, while Shiina Mashiro was tugging at his right sleeve.

Seriously, it feels so weird to have your short-sleeved shirt sleeves pulled up.

“I’m really not interested in haunted houses, and I’m not afraid of ghosts. You’re expecting me to be scared… don’t even think about it.”

"Yes, yes, I've just never been to a haunted house, I don't want to see people being scared."

Asuna gave a very perfunctory look and pulled Kiritani-san to go inside.

It's like how mentally ill people say they're not sick, and people who are afraid of ghosts say they're not afraid of ghosts—isn't that perfectly normal?

Incidentally, even Death is afraid of ghosts...

As soon as I stepped into the haunted house, I heard a strange howling sound as the wind blew through the window, which was not closed properly and had a small gap.

Kiritani's expression immediately became strained, and his steps became heavy. He turned around indifferently, and behind him stood the blonde Rita, who was also reaching out to tug at Kiritani's clothes. Behind them, the haunted house door slowly closed.

...It seems that if we don't want to finish exploring this haunted house, the only option is to kick the door open and leave.

...Hmm, instead of worrying about something that Asuna will definitely stop, let's consider this: if there really are ghosts, should we first be curious about why they wear bright red clothes and have long hair that's always hanging down instead of being tied up properly, or should we ask... does the Sanzu River even exist?

But then again, why do haunted houses always give people the feeling of a basement?

Having successfully unleashed his thoughts, Kiritani's expression softened slightly.

Asuna, holding Kiritani's hand, walked down the steps and around the corner, passing the eerie shrine that Kiritani had overlooked due to his scattered thoughts. Undoubtedly, the darkness became even thicker in the next instant. Kiritani raised his hand to hold onto the wall next to him, but as soon as he raised it, he touched Shiina Mashiro's arm.

...Oh no, why am I not only not afraid at all now, but also have my head full of doujinshi plots?

But honestly, given this intense darkness, if Kiritani-san were to let go of Asuna's hand, he would definitely lose all sense of direction.

The others seemed largely unaffected; for example, Asuna, who was walking ahead, was able to find her way.

"This is not good... It's too dark."

"Wow, this is really amazing."

"It's very dark..."

"Hey you behind, can you keep up? You're going to tear my clothes open."

Kiritani grumbled unhappily, but as the increasingly smiling background music faded away, he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Fortunately, there was still the warmth coming from his palm.

"If you walk too fast, you'll get squeezed."

Because of the rules, you have to take off your shoes and socks before entering the haunted house. The icy feeling from the soles of your feet was enough to make Kiritani-san feel a chill. In addition, the coldness that appeared was probably due to the drop in temperature. Under the double chill, the shiver that immediately broke out showed Kiritani-san's instinctive fear.

All that remained was the warmth of my palm.

I want to... get out!

The chestnut-haired girl seemed to sense Kiritani-san's trembling. After a moment's hesitation, she hugged his arm, pressing half her body against him, her voice gentle and warm.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"No, I'm not scared, it's just that I can't see anything..."

Her head, slightly turned away, finally rested against that familiar, pretty face. "Then... please take me out."

"give it to me!"

The girl's smile blossomed, perhaps unseen by anyone in the darkness, but... that feeling could still be clearly sensed.

Just hold these hands tightly...

…………

There's more than one "fuck you" I want to say in my heart!

But there are some things that really shouldn't be said.

Choosing to give up following Kiritani-san, Rita returned to Shiina Mashiro's side, holding that hand with its familiar warmth.

This time, Mashiro did not resist.

Perhaps it was out of fear, or perhaps for other reasons, but... Rita could sense that Mashiro didn't really hate her.

“Kuang Dang!!!”

The sudden flight of the coffin lid instantly brought the atmosphere of fear and silence to a climax.

Kiritani stepped back, gripping Asuna's hand tightly. The eerie red light emanating from the coffin shone on his face, clearly revealing his panic.

Slowly, a hand emerged from the coffin, a bloodied and mutilated hand...

Kirigaya ignored Rita's sudden scream and Shiina Mashiro's silent trembling, and quickly pulled Asuna away from there.

However, at the next corner...

A black cloth suddenly billowed up, sparse blue and red lights spread out, and... a dark shadow rushed out.

With her lips pressed tightly together, Kiritani pushed Asuna away...

Of course, it's impossible for him to be so scared that he abandons his girlfriend and runs away. All Kiritani-san wants to do is... take a step forward.

"Killing - Izayoi Tsukika!"

The outstretched hand, the pain from the impact, the black shadow flying backward and the screams...

300

【NO.297 The Holiday That Was Ended (Part 1)】

"terribly sorry!"

With a face full of apology, Asuna looked at the girl whose arm had almost been broken and whose face was very pale, and felt genuinely sorry.

Ah, here's how it is.

The story picks up where the previous chapter left off. Startled by the ghostly figure that suddenly jumped out, Kiritani instinctively rushed forward and unleashed a set of sword techniques. Although he used a hand blade instead of a wooden sword, the power was still considerable, and he was subsequently sent flying.

The injuries have occurred, and the disruption caused to the incident warrants an apology and compensation.

However, the situation has become slightly... a little delicate.

Kiritani-san knows the staff member who is dressed as a ghost... well, you could say he knows her, they've had at least one conversation.

The legendary working warrior, Kawasaki Saki, with her knee-length sky-blue hair, was handsome but her face showed signs of sleep deprivation. Now, with her face pale from pain, she appeared somewhat frail.

"I'm sorry, senior, let me take you to the hospital."

Kiritani felt deeply guilty for the series of mistakes he made due to his overreaction, and began to wonder if he had recently developed a strong connection with the hospital.

"No need, it's not a big deal."

Kawasaki Saki has now removed her demon makeup, which means she's been given a day off because of her injury... In reality, Saki is just a temporary worker, and being given a day off means her morning's work is essentially wasted.

It's a pity, but there's nothing we can do about it. However, this shouldn't affect my work tonight... right?

Kawasaki Saki, from Chiba, has busy parents and a younger brother and sister. She is a brother-complex and sister-complex. It is said that her brother and Komachi have a good relationship. The way Hachiman looks at Saki's brother... is like the way Kirito was about to hit someone with a brick back then. Actually, the main point is that the reason why Saki, a brother-complex, became a part-time warrior is largely related to her brother.

Looking at the girl moving her arms and her mouth still twitching occasionally, Kiritani-san's expression became even more helpless. Was this girl planning to continue working?

Kiritani could easily understand why Saki refused to go to the hospital; after all, it was a waste of time and would cost a lot of money.

Of course, since it was Kiritani-san who caused this, he naturally wouldn't let Saki pay for it, but as for the time... Saki was obviously worried that it would interfere with her work that night.

"Um, Saki-senpai, could you please wait here for a moment? I need to talk to Asuna about something."

Kiritani-san took out his phone and sent a text message. Then, he pulled Asuna and the others aside, his tone tinged with sadness, "Although we haven't had enough fun yet, this has happened, so we have to stop for now... Let's call it a day. We can come back another day for the rest. Asuna, you take Mashiro and Rita back first. I'll take my senior to the hospital for a check-up..."

Scratching his increasingly disheveled hair, Kiritani-san was full of worry. "I was still frightened after all. If I could have controlled myself, I wouldn't have knocked my senior flying."

"...No, more than Shido being frightened, I'm curious why your instinctive reaction wasn't to turn and run away, but to rush up and chop someone with your hand."

Rita covered her lips with her hand, seemingly wanting to laugh. "But it's a real shame that I didn't get a good look at Shido's expression back then."

Kiritani ignored Rita indifferently, raised his aching right hand, and weakly rubbed Mashiro's head. "Sorry, I'll take you out to play again next time..."

"it does not matter."

Shiina Mashiro shook her head slightly, not feeling any regret. After all, playing... was ultimately not as appealing to her as drawing. She was just a little worried about the current situation.

"Then, Asuna is in your hands."

"Ok."

With a gentle expression, Asuna reached out and took Kiritani's hand from Shiina Mashiro's head, pressing her thumb lightly on it. Looking at his involuntary furrowed brows, she said helplessly, "When you go to the hospital with Senpai later, you should also get checked out."

"Well, it just hurts a little, it'll be fine in a bit."

Kiritani smiled slightly. The physical blows he had suffered during his childhood training were never small, and the pain he felt afterward was nothing compared to the pain caused by the recoil—yes, it really was just a minor issue.

Asuna raised an eyebrow and said again, "Remember to check it carefully."

Kiritani-san quickly nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, I understand, I will definitely check it carefully."

Watching the interaction between the two, Rita couldn't help but pout; they were really being treated differently.

After that, Asuna took Shiina Mashiro and Rita back.

This might not seem like a good idea, but Asuna believes that Kirito-san can handle this matter well. Besides... there's no point in having so many people go with us.