"Hana-chan, come over here—it's buffet time."
As Kitahara spoke, a beast-girl with silver hair and red eyes emerged from the darkness.
The effective range of the [You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education] skill wasn't large; once the quiz mode was activated, others entering the area wouldn't be controlled—they remained free to move.
To prevent the Imposter Queens from discovering Hana prematurely, she hadn't been at the abandoned shrine earlier; instead, she had stayed at home.
Kitahara had placed a mirror in an inconspicuous corner. Only after all the Imposter Queens had fallen into the trap did he mentally summon Hana, allowing her to fast-travel to the location via the mirror.
In short, to round up all the Imposter Queens in one fell swoop, Kitahara had discussed the battle plan with the girls numerous times, ensuring every aspect was considered.
"S-so terrifying!"
"It's a super dangerous, powerful entity!"
"Oh no, I can't move my body."
"Damn human, let us go right now!"
"..."
Upon seeing Hana approach, the Imposter Queens reacted in various ways—some trembled, some panicked, and others issued blustering threats—creating a scene of utter chaos.
Turning a deaf ear to the commotion, Kitahara calmly took out the [Magical Bait] item and tossed it gently into the air.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
Defying the laws of gravity, the Magical Bait hovered in mid-air and began to vibrate rapidly. Transparent ripples soon spread through the void, radiating outward like waves on the surface of water.
As the spatial ripples washed over them, the Imposter Queens' expressions changed drastically, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Bait isn't just for catching fish, you know..."
Kitahara murmured softly. Earlier in the day, Kitahara had asked the "Book of Answers" and learned that once the "Master and Mount" bond was established with a Imposter Queen, the connection remained intact even if she reverted to her true insect form. Reassured, he simply had his second mount emerge from her symbiotic host to reveal her true self.
Unlike the ordinary Imposter parasites encountered previously, the Imposter Queen's true form was a pink insect that looked surprisingly squishy and cute; based on appearance alone, it was a completely different creature from the standard parasites.
That was precisely why the [Magical Bait] had failed to lure her out in the gymnasium yesterday.
But things were different now.
Kitahara had the Queen's appearance firmly etched in his mind, so there was no chance of failure this time. As the bait vibrated, the Queen insects emerged uncontrollably one by one; once separated from their human hosts, they lost the ability to speak and could only squeak incessantly.
"Hana-chan, they're all yours."
Kitahara turned to look at Hana.
Hana's eyes sparkled. She trotted forward on her short legs and began devouring the Queen insects one by one, munching on them as if they were octopus sashimi.
She only stopped when the last one—the one serving as his mount—remained.
"Not tasty."
Hana rubbed her tummy as she gave her verdict.
Kitahara put away the [Magical Bait] and allowed his "mount insect" to regain control of her body.
Upon regaining the ability to move, the mount insect scrambled back into the host girl's body. She opened her eyes in a panic, trembling all over with tears welling up:
"Master, please don't eat me!"
The sight of Hana devouring all the other Queens had clearly terrified the mount girl:
"I can bear children for you, Master!"
Kitahara was speechless. "There is absolutely no need for that."
Have children with an Imposter?
He didn't have that kind of distorted taste! Seeing Kitahara shake his head in refusal, the "mount" girl grew even more flustered and hurriedly tried to prove her worth:
"Master, I can also choose 'Subordinate Symbiosis'!"
"What does that mean?"
Kitahara raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"The previous symbiosis was led by me, but Subordinate Symbiosis is different; I become a subordinate entity, and the human host gains access to all my abilities," the Imposter Queen explained hastily, terrified that Kitahara might let Hana devour her in one bite.
"In this subordinate state, the host can sever the bond whenever they wish to get rid of me, and the process causes absolutely no harm to the human."
The more Kitahara listened, the more he felt a subtle sense of déjà vu; after pondering for a few seconds, it clicked:
"Wait, isn't that just like Venom from the movies?"
In terms of capabilities, the two certainly shared striking similarities.
"If one chooses Subordinate Symbiosis, an ordinary human gains your special powers—that sounds pretty good... Seika would definitely love it."
Kitahara nodded slightly.
Although he considered the Imposter's combat prowess negligible, to an ordinary person, it was formidable—more than enough to defeat standard anomalies.
Beyond combat strength, the Imposter Queen possessed various special abilities, such as shapeshifting and unique telepathy.
"Are you certain that Subordinate Symbiosis causes no harm to the human?"
Kitahara asked seriously.
"There really is no harm!" The Imposter Queen nodded hurriedly, looking up with teary eyes. "It's just... there is one tiny issue..."
"What issue?"
"Due to our unique nature, we can only form a Subordinate Symbiosis with a female host."
"That's not a problem. Anything else?"
"Also, in this state, I rely on the host to help replenish my energy; if I go too long without feeding, I become weak and irritable..."
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, and she nervously watched Kitahara's expression. "That makes perfect sense." Kitahara's expression remained calm; he wasn't angry. "Humans need to eat, so it's only natural that you need to feed... Once we get back and confirm you pose no real threat to anyone, you can officially graduate from being a temporary mount to a permanent one."
"Thank you, Master!"
The Imposter Queen breathed a sigh of relief. Had she not been immobilized by the Q&A state, she surely would have lunged forward to hug Kitahara's leg in gratitude.
Kitahara glanced at "Mount No. 2's" loyalty rating and noticed it had ticked up again, nearing the maximum level. It seemed the art of managing subordinates truly lay in balancing rewards with authority; neither constant coddling nor relentless oppression was the right approach.
The rest followed naturally.
Once the brief Q&A session ended, the Imposter Queen regained her mobility. Kitahara had her exit the symbiotic girl's body and placed her in Hana's care for the time being.
With the Imposter no longer controlling her body, the symbiotic girl naturally collapsed to the ground with a soft thud.
Kitahara looked at the unconscious women scattered across the floor and simply pulled out his phone to call his dedicated liaison. He asked her to dispatch medical personnel to handle the aftermath, citing the destruction of a Imposter nest as the reason—a convenient excuse, given that she wouldn't pry too deeply anyway.
"What a shame..."
Kitahara felt a twinge of regret as he surveyed the unconscious women.
Had he known earlier that the Parasites possessed abilities similar to Venom, he wouldn't have let Hana devour them like a buffet; instead, he would have turned them all into symbiotes.
Then again, managing such a large number would have been a hassle. If even a few Queens had accidentally slipped away, the entire world would have been plunged into crisis once more... Safety had to come first, after all.
Twenty minutes later.
Bureau staff and medical personnel arrived. After briefly briefing them, Kitahara got into a vehicle to rendezvous with Ms. Kojima and continue the sweep for other Imposters.
Before he knew it, it was 10:30 PM. With the day's operations concluded, Kitahara was finally able to head home. "Welcome back, Kitahara-kun."
"You've worked hard, Kitahara-san."
"You must be hungry after being out and busy for so long, right? Would you like to eat first, or take a bath?"
"..."
Seeing the girls flocking to greet him, Kitahara felt a warmth spread through his chest and smiled.
"I am indeed a bit hungry; I'd like something to eat."
"Have a seat and rest for a moment, Kitahara-kun," Soyo said gently. "I'll go to the kitchen and prepare a meal."
Kitahara looked at Soyo. "Just some instant noodles would be fine; there's no need for all that trouble."
"That won't do~" Soyo wagged a finger playfully. "You've been working so hard out there saving the world, Kitahara-kun; naturally, we have to treat you to something special."
"Don't worry, Makoto-kun," Tomori said softly. "We've already got the ingredients ready."
"Alright, then..."
He couldn't very well turn down such heartfelt hospitality, so Kitahara naturally stopped refusing.
"Here's a drink, Kitahara-san."
No sooner had Kitahara sat down than Anon handed him a bottle of grape juice, her voice bright and cheerful.
"How did the mission go?"
"Objective achieved perfectly." Kitahara tilted his head back and downed half the bottle in one go. "Those 'Imposter Queens' hiding in the shadows all ended up as a buffet for Hana-chan... Oh, right."
Kitahara turned to look at Hana nearby—who was currently watching anime—and held out his right hand.
"Hana-chan, give Aoi to me."
The Queen parasite itself didn't have a name, but its human host was named Aoi; even though they had separated, Kitahara continued to use the host's name.
Hana was holding a small cupcake in both hands, her chubby cheeks puffing out as she ate. Hearing Kitahara, she opened her mouth wide, gobbled up the rest of the cupcake in one bite, and then pulled the little pink worm from her pocket to place it in Kitahara's hand. "Oh, how cute." Anon looked over curiously. "Aoi's true form kind of resembles 'Little Pink' from Stink Bug."
Kitahara nodded. "Now that you mention it, Anon, it really does look a lot like that."
Unlike the parasites found in ordinary Imposters, the Queen Bug was pink and looked far cuter; its body resembled jelly—crystal-clear yet possessing a soft, quivering elasticity—making it impossible to find off-putting.
"Stink Bug?"
Tomori tilted her head in curiosity.
"It's a super fun animated short—I can't recommend it enough!" Anon quickly gave a thumbs-up, switching into full-on recommendation mode. "You just can't stop watching—it's totally addictive! Tomori, you absolutely have to watch it when you have the time!"
Tomori took a half-step back. "Anon is so excited."
"Because it's just that good." Anon clasped her hands over her chest, her eyes sparkling. "It would be such a shame to miss out on it just because of the name."
"Got it," Tomori nodded in agreement. "I'll take a look at it when I get home tonight."
Meanwhile, Kitahara had finished briefly explaining Aoi's symbiotic ability and asked softly:
"Aoi's symbiosis is limited to girls; who wants to give it a try?"
"Me, me!" Anon raised her right hand high, eagerly volunteering herself, her voice bright and clear. "It sounds like so much fun."
Anon was naturally bold, and with Kitahara right there, she had no fear of danger, so she was keen to experience the effects of the "Venom-style transformation."
"Alright, Anon can try it first."
Kitahara handed Aoi over to her.
"So, what do I do now?" Anon looked over, looking a bit perplexed. "Do I have to eat Aoi?"
"It's not that complicated." Kitahara shook his head. "It's actually quite simple."
Kita let out a soft exclamation: "Anon, look! Aoi is melting."
The girls all turned their curious gazes toward Anon's right hand, watching as Aoi—translucent and jelly-like—rapidly melted into a pool of red liquid and quickly merged into Anon's body.
"Hmm... aside from feeling a bit cool, I don't really feel anything else."
Anon
widened her eyes and carefully inspected her palm, finding no wounds at all:
"Kitahara-kun, is the symbiosis with Aoi already done?"
"Of course; symbiosis isn't that complicated a process." Kitahara nodded. "Try jumping, Anon."
"Okay..."
Anon exhaled softly and attempted a light leap; amidst the girls' surprised gasps, she shot straight upward, her head slamming right into the ceiling. "Ouch, that hurts." Anon clutched the top of her head, her pretty face filled with surprise. "I actually managed to jump that high?"
"It really was high," Nijika said, her eyes wide. "You actually hit the ceiling."
"After the symbiotic bond formed, Anon's physical capabilities were enhanced several-fold; hitting the ceiling is perfectly normal." Kitahara glanced at the 'scum-Ryo' senpai in the corner and continued his explanation. "In this state, not only does her combat prowess skyrocket, but she can also damage anomalies, evil spirits, and the like... In a sense, Anon has effectively become an exorcist."
"An exorcist?"
Upon hearing this, Seika's eyes lit up, and an expression of eager anticipation involuntarily appeared on her lovely face.
Physical enhancement and a special power to repel anomalies—wasn't this the very ability she had always dreamed of?
She wanted it so, so badly...
Kitahara downed the rest of his drink in one go and looked at Anon:
"Aside from the basic physical boost, if you want to use other abilities, you'll have to communicate with Aoi."
"Let me give it a try..."
Anon closed her eyes and reached out to Aoi mentally. She received a response almost immediately; upon learning of Aoi's capabilities, her eyes shifted, and the corners of her pink, soft lips curled upward into a delighted smile:
"Watch closely, everyone—don't blink!"
The next second.
Anon's body subtly grew taller, the contours of her face shifted, her eyes turned blue, and her hair color changed to brown; within just a few breaths, she had completely transformed into another person.
"Amazing—she turned into Soyo."
"She looks exactly like her."
"Even the voice is identical."
"Though her clothes didn't change along with her."
"..."
The girls exclaimed in amazement as they gazed at the newly minted Soyo.
At that very moment.
Soyo happened to be walking out of the kitchen carrying a meal. Since she was only preparing food for Kitahara and the ingredients had already been prepped, the task hadn't been troublesome at all.
But the moment she stepped out, she saw an identical version of herself standing in the living room, and her eyes widened in bewilderment. Startled, Anon took a half-step back and instinctively clutched Kitahara's arm:
"Who are you?"
Soyo answered instinctively:
"I'm Soyo…"
"I'm the real Soyo now!"
"..."