The young girl's delicate body, fragrant and soft like water, leaned into Hikari's arms of her own accord.
Facing Munakata Nakoto's ambiguous gesture, Hikari had no intention of blaming her.
Because he knew that at a moment like this, pushing Munakata Nakoto away would only make her feel extremely uneasy, worried that he might actually not want to help her.
So, in order to show his determination to help her uphold justice, Hikari let her continue with those somewhat excessive actions toward him.
As they talked, Munakata Nakoto lifted her head again and took the initiative to kiss Hikari several times.
Seeing this beautiful young lady being so proactive, blinking her big eyes and looking up at him the whole time, Hikari also reached out and gently wrapped an arm around her slender, soft waist.
———
Several dozen minutes later, Hikari finally walked out of Munakata Nakoto's room.
Just now, the two of them had chatted a bit about their lives, such as their plans for the future, and how partners should interact with each other. Things like how kissing feels most comfortable, where hands should be placed, and so on.
Of course, the main topic they discussed was still how to stop her mother, Munakata Rurie's plan.
After leaving Munakata Nakoto's room, the corners of Hikari's mouth were still slightly damp, carrying a pleasant scent of lip balm.
His hands also still held the lingering fragrance of the girl.
As well as that unforgettable, jelly-like soft and springy sensation.
But Hikari didn't pay much attention to these things. At this moment, he was mainly thinking about the information Munakata Nakoto had just told him about Madam Rurie.
In fact, from the moment he first met Madam Rurie, Hikari had already felt that her enthusiasm was excessive and somewhat strange.
Just now, Munakata Nakoto said that Madam Rurie wanted to use him or Tani Ichiro to accomplish her plan.
That was why her attitude toward them had been so kind and warm.
This explanation was quite reasonable and perfectly confirmed some of Hikari's earlier suspicions.
But even though everything Munakata Nakoto had just said sounded reasonable, and she had even sat on his lap to explain it to him carefully, Hikari still didn't completely believe her words.
Hikari believed the part where Munakata Nakoto said Madam Rurie had ulterior motives toward their group of guests, and that she wanted to harm her own daughter.
But when Munakata Nakoto said that her mother was a cult believer who might have been brainwashed by some evil sect, Hikari felt somewhat doubtful.
It wasn't because he thought Madam Rurie was a good person. Quite the opposite. Hikari felt that Madam Rurie was not as simple as Munakata Nakoto made her out to be.
If Munakata Rurie was merely someone who believed in an evil cult, just an ordinary person who had been brainwashed, then it would be impossible to explain why, under the observation of his Aura-Watching Technique, the entire mansion was shrouded in a pitch-black, sinister aura.
Although from every angle now, Madam Rurie looked like nothing more than an ordinary, beautiful noblewoman, and Hikari couldn't see any specific problem with her.
Still, he had a faint feeling that there was a trace of an unpleasant aura about her, even carrying a hint of danger.
Although it was only a very slight intuition, Hikari didn't think it was an illusion.
So he couldn't be certain that Madam Rurie had simply been deceived by some missionary and was merely an ordinary cult believer.
Based on his previous experience dealing with various evil spirits and urban legends, there were probably similar strange entities inside this mansion as well.
He didn't know whether Munakata Nakoto was unaware of it or had held something back from him.
Hikari wasn't sure, but he wasn't worried that Munakata Nakoto would harm him.
Because just as she had said earlier, she truly had no other options left.
Seeking help from Hikari now was already her last resort.
If she knew something but hadn't said it clearly, it might be because she was afraid that telling him would scare him into refusing to help, or because she simply couldn't say it.
Hikari didn't care too much about that.
From beginning to end, he had always been confident.
Not because of Munakata Nakoto's plea, but because of the confidence he had in the power he possessed.
While pondering these things, Hikari headed back toward the room where he was staying.
But just as he was about to reach his door, suddenly, from the far end of the second-floor corridor, a sharp scream rang out.
"Ahhhh!"
"What are you doing?"
After the scream, a few angry female voices followed.
Recognizing faintly whose voice was shouting, Hikari raised his eyebrows slightly.
He paused for a second or two, then without much hesitation, quickly walked toward the direction where the noise had come from.
When he reached the corner of the corridor, Hikari immediately saw a rather unpleasant scene.
A man in a white suit was lying in a pool of blood.
In the large Munakata mansion, aside from Hikari, there was actually only one other man.
And the man lying on the ground right now was none other than Tani Ichiro.
Besides Tani Ichiro, there was also a charming figure standing nearby.
She was wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown, draped with a thin veil. Her figure was graceful, her appearance seductive, and beneath the corner of her enchanting eyes was a beauty mark. This mature woman full of allure was none other than Madam Rurie.
At this moment, Madam Rurie's hair was slightly messy. She was tightly hugging her full chest with both arms, her expression somewhat nervous.
Meanwhile, Tani Ichiro was staring wide-eyed at Madam Rurie, looking slightly stunned.
Seeing the strange scene of the two of them vaguely confronting each other, Hikari immediately asked, "What… is going on here?"
Hearing Hikari's voice, Munakata Rurie, who had been nervous, seemed to find a savior. She quickly said anxiously, "Hikari-kun, please help me judge this!"
"I kindly took Mr. Tani in, invited him to dinner, and let him stay in my home so he could rest."
"But he repaid kindness with hostility. Not only did he try to mo!est the maids in my house, but after failing, he even set his sights on me!"
"Just now I was about to return to my room to sleep, when Mr. Tani said he had something to discuss."
"I said it was too late and we could talk tomorrow. But he refused. He came straight at me and tried to touch me, trying to… trying to do something improper to me!"
"I really couldn't take it anymore, so I pushed him. That's how he ended up falling to the ground…"
"I never imagined Mr. Tani would be such a bad person, repaying kindness with hostility, trying to bully a widow like me, trying to do such filthy things to a widow like me…"
"Wuwuwu!"
At this moment, Munakata Rurie's hair and nightgown were slightly disheveled, her eyes red. She looked incomparably pitiful, just like a widow who had been bullied, making people feel sympathy for her.
But hearing her words, Tani Ichiro, who had just gotten back on his feet, was filled with rage.
He furiously cursed Munakata Rurie, "Bullshit! You damned bitch, you're talking nonsense!"
"When did I touch you? I haven't even laid a finger on you!"
"And you were the one who seduced me first! Now you're trying to frame me?"
"Fine! If that's how it is, then today I'll definitely take you, you bitch!"
Tani Ichiro was full of anger now, almost losing his mind.
Originally tonight he had already been angered by the maid Takahara Ren. He had wanted to teach her a harsh lesson and vent his rage on that maid, but Hikari had stopped him.
But it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Munakata Rurie had actually invited him to her room.
Yet when he arrived, he discovered that what Munakata Rurie said and what she did were completely different. None of the things he had hoped for were there at all.
By this point Tani Ichiro was already furious. Then Munakata Rurie had pushed him to the ground and even accused him in return.
That made Tani Ichiro's anger explode completely.
Anyway, he was already being hunted and was a wanted criminal.
He might as well go all the way and become an animal too.
Once he conquered all three women in this household and then obtained all the Munakata family's wealth, how wonderful would that life be.
While burning with rage, Tani Ichiro also thought about the consequences after venting his anger.
When he realized it would lead to a beautiful future, his blood boiled and he immediately stood up.
He planned to continue making a move against Munakata Rurie, forcefully pressing down this lying yet stunning noblewoman and conquering her.
"Rurie, today I'm going to fack you to death!"
But just as the nearly irrational Tani Ichiro was about to turn into a beast and pounce, he suddenly realized that Munakata Rurie had disappeared.
Turning his head, he saw that at some point she had already hidden behind Hikari.
"Hikari-kun… he's gone mad… save… save Auntie…"
Seeing the frenzied Tani Ichiro, Madam Rurie looked terrified. Her delicate body trembled as she hid behind Hikari, one hand clutching the corner of his clothes.
"You little brat, get the hell out of my way!"
Seeing Munakata Rurie seeking help from Hikari, Tani Ichiro's anger flared even higher as he roared.
"Mr. Tani, calm down first," Hikari said calmly.
"Trying to play the hero saving a beauty, huh? This time I'll kill you too!", Tani Ichiro, overflowing with rage, had already lost any desire to talk. He threw a vicious punch straight at Hikari's face.
He had already decided to knock Hikari down first, then make him watch with his own eyes how he brutally ravaged everyone in this house.
But before his fierce punch could reach Hikari's face, a slap arrived first and struck his cheek.
Smack!
Like a spinning top being whipped, Tani Ichiro spun two or three circles from that slap before crashing heavily to the ground.
"Cough! Cough! Damn brat, you're pretty strong. Let's see how I beat you to death in a moment…"
Still full of rage, Tani Ichiro wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and struggled to get up, trying to fight back again.
But Hikari stepped forward and stomped down hard on his crotch.
"AAAAH!"
Tani Ichiro let out a shrill scream.
The intense pain made his previously overheated mind become slightly clearer.
Looking at Hikari standing over him, he hurriedly begged, "I… I was wrong!"
"Don't… don't hit me anymore!"
"Please… please…"
Hearing Tani Ichiro's plea, Hikari temporarily stopped.
Tani Ichiro let out a breath of relief, looking humble as if he was about to continue begging.
But at that moment, a heavy black shadow suddenly came with a rushing wind, like a giant axe, smashing violently toward his temple.
Bang!
A loud crash rang out.
Along with blood mixed with white brain matter splattering everywhere, Tani Ichiro's humble, pleading expression froze instantly.
He only had time to show a hint of shock before he could no longer utter a single word.
Hikari turned his head.
He saw that Munakata Rurie was standing beside him, gripping a blood-stained bronze lotus lamp.
She was gasping heavily, out of breath, her full chest rising and falling violently.
"Madam Rurie, what are you…", Hikari frowned slightly, looking at her with a strange expression.
Madam Rurie hurriedly explained, "I… I was afraid he would hurt Hikari-kun, so I wanted to help you. That's why I grabbed this bronze lamp beside me and smashed him with it…"
"I didn't expect… didn't expect to hit his head exactly. And… and it seems I hit a little too hard…"
Madam Rurie looked flustered, like a frightened little rabbit, her eyes darting around anxiously.
Seeing her nervous appearance, Hikari immediately walked toward Tani Ichiro, who was now lying in a pool of blood.
He reached out and checked for a pulse beneath his nose.
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