Kitahara couldn't be bothered to correct the way she addressed him, so he simply asked:
"How many more clones do you have?"
The Imposter Queen was being exceptionally docile now:
"Thirteen more..."
"That many."
Kitahara frowned slightly.
It was a good thing he hadn't instantly killed her right off the bat; otherwise, things would have been truly troublesome.
"You can transmit messages to each other across distances, right?"
Kitahara asked again.
"That's correct." The Imposter Queen nodded. "We can transmit messages, but it consumes a great deal of energy, so we don't contact each other unless necessary."
"Did you tell the other clones about what just happened?"
"I haven't had the chance yet."
"Good. Keep it a secret."
"Yes, Master."
Kitahara turned and walked away. "Follow me."
"Yes."
The Imposter Queen obediently stepped forward to follow him.
"Since you can communicate with each other, notify all the clones right now and have them come here."
Kitahara issued the order decisively.
If you don't pull up the weeds by the roots, they'll just grow back in the spring breeze.
Monsters like the Imposter Queen had to be destroyed as quickly as possible—leaving none behind.
"I'm sorry, Master, but I can't do what you've asked." The Imposter Queen shook her head. "Our nature is unique; we are clones, yet also independent individuals. Each one has its own will. I can notify the others, but they won't necessarily listen to me."
"...What a hassle."
Kitahara furrowed his brows slightly.
He had originally intended to round them all up in one go, but it seemed it wouldn't be that easy after all.
"How long have you been parasitizing this woman?"
Kitahara shifted his gaze toward her.
"In response to Master: two days." The Imposter Queen answered meekly, then corrected him in a low voice, "Though it isn't parasitism, but symbiosis."
"Heh. Symbiosis implies mutual benefit." Kitahara remained expressionless. "This 'symbiosis' of yours only benefits you, doesn't it?"
"..."
The Imposter Queen fell silent.
Because that was exactly the case. To monsters, humans are nothing more than "sustenance"; naturally, they cannot empathize with their food, making the very idea of "symbiosis" a joke.
"Even with this so-called 'symbiosis,' you could still emerge from that woman's body, couldn't you?"
Kitahara asked calmly.
"You are right, Master; I can indeed voluntarily end the symbiotic state," the Imposter Queen said, lowering her head. "But without a host, I become extremely vulnerable."
Although the Imposter Queen was far more powerful than ordinary Imposters, she could not escape the fact that her true form was a parasitic worm—making her inherently fragile.
"It doesn't matter; I'll protect you."
Kitahara made the promise casually—an empty vow.
She was a creature he could obliterate with a single punch; her combat prowess was irrelevant. All that mattered was her ability to lure in other Mimic Queens.
"Thank you, Master."
The Imposter Queen bowed her head in gratitude.
"You..."
Kitahara hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"Let's head downstairs first."
He had originally intended to have the Imposter Queen detach from the stranger's body, but if she revealed her true insectoid form, she might fail to meet the requirements for the "riding" mechanic, thereby jeopardizing his plan.
To wipe out all the Queens in one fell swoop, he had to maintain the status quo for now—leaving the nameless stranger to suffer the consequences.
Snap.
Stepping into the hallway, Kitahara lightly snapped his fingers to activate a silence field; as he walked downstairs, he began gathering information.
"What is your purpose in parasitizing humans?"
"Answering you, Master: our true forms are too fragile. Parasitizing humans grants us protection, and human fear and despair serve as our sustenance."
Fear and despair?
To watch helplessly as a worm burrows into your brain, takes control of your body, and forces you to attack your own loved ones—all while remaining fully conscious... Any normal person would surely be consumed by terror and a mental breakdown...
However, to Kitahara, that fear and despair were merely superficial; the true food for these "Imposter" parasites was likely "psychic energy."
As everyone knows, feelings of happiness are often fleeting, whereas sorrow and pain can pour down like an endless rainstorm,
lasting until the very end of one's life.
"What becomes of the humans you use as food?"
Kitahara asked, his expression impassive.
The Imposter Queen lowered her head. "They fall into a deep slumber as their souls wither, eventually never to wake again."
"How long does that process take?"
"One week."
"Good. Now I don't have to feel guilty about it."
The stranger before him had been "symbiotically linked" for only two days; there were still several days left before the one-week limit, meaning there was no immediate danger to her life. So... for the time being, she could serve as a useful tool.
As they talked, the two of them quickly made their way downstairs.
Kitahara activated his "Field of Silence." With the Imposter Queen in tow, he easily slipped past the security guard, left the apartment building, and approached the car parked in the corner.
Snap.
Kitahara gave a light snap of his fingers, deactivating the field and revealing their presence.
"Kitahara-kun, you're back?"
Seeing him return, Mutsumi and Sakiko quickly opened the car doors and stepped out.
"Makoto-kun, are you hurt?"
Mutsumi looked up at him.
"Handled it easily—not a scratch on me." Kitahara spread his arms, allowing Mutsumi to check him over.
"Kitahara-kun, who is she?"
Sakiko's gaze shifted to the stranger standing beside him.
Kitahara saw no reason to hide the truth. "She's the Imposter Queen."
"Huh?"
Sakiko's eyes widened, and a look of wariness quickly appeared on her lovely face. "Let's get in the car and talk." Kitahara looked at the Imposter Queen. "Hop in."
"Yes, Master."
The Imposter Queen bent down to enter the car, but upon seeing Hana sitting inside snacking, she immediately began to tremble; she could clearly sense the fundamental disparity in power between them.
"Don't be afraid." Kitahara gave her a gentle pat. "Hana-chan won't hurt you."
Only then did the Imposter Queen sit down hurriedly; she sat bolt upright, eyes fixed straight ahead, behaving even more meekly than a frightened quail.
Kitahara briefly explained the Imposter Queen's identity, then said:
"Sakiko, ask the Book of Answers how we can lure out the other Queens."
"Leave it to me."
Upon grasping the situation, Sakiko's expression quickly turned serious. She took a deep breath, retrieved the Book of Answers from her bag, and began to ask her question.
Rustle, rustle.
The Book of Answers flipped its pages rapidly without any wind, and text soon began to appear on the blank paper.
"Huh? It's the Eden Fruit?"
Sakiko exclaimed softly.
"The Eden Fruit, is it?"
Kitahara was slightly surprised by the answer appearing in the book, though upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
The Eden Fruit held a fatal allure for anomalous beings; if the "mount" girl before them simply shared news of the fruit's existence with the other individuals, it would naturally lure them in.
"Hana-chan, can we still go to Otherworld to pick Eden Fruit right now?"
Kitahara turned to look at Hana.
"No." Hana shook her head. "The spatial node... can't get in."
"Then we'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
Kitahara closed his eyes and let out a resigned sigh.
"You've worked so hard today, Kitahara-kun. Don't rush; take it easy." Seeing the look of fatigue on his face, Sakiko's eyes filled with concern as she pursed her lips. "Why don't you rest with your head on my lap for a while?"
"Alright."
Kitahara didn't stand on ceremony, successfully securing a lap pillow from Sakiko.
The car soon returned to the Togawa family's villa estate. Kitahara told Hana to stay with the Imposter Queen—instructing them not to separate or respond to any summons for the time being—before heading back to the room with Sakiko to take a bath.
"Kitahara-kun..."
A figure appeared quietly outside the bathroom door.
"Sakiko? What is it?"
Kitahara naturally recognized the young woman's voice.
"Um..." Sakiko sounded slightly shy. "Would you like me to help scrub your back?"
Kitahara's eyes lit up. "I'd be incredibly grateful."
Sakiko: "..."
She had suppressed her shyness and volunteered to help scrub his back primarily because she felt bad about how hard he had worked that day and wanted to help him relax; however, the situation quickly veered away from her original intentions.
"W-wait a moment... my clothes are getting wet..."
"If you take them off, they won't get wet."
"No... Kitahara-kun worked so hard today; you should get some proper rest..."
"I already napped with my head on your lap, so I'm fully recharged now."
"Mutsumi is still outside washing cucumbers; she might come back any minute..."
"Then let's go to the onsen resort."
"Mmm..."
"..."
A short while later.
Mutsumi returned to the room carrying a plate of cucumbers.
"Makoto-kun?"
She searched the room but couldn't find a trace of Kitahara or Sakiko. It wasn't until she saw the clothes scattered in the bathroom that she understood the situation. She slowly lowered her head, a dark, gloomy look surfacing in her eyes once more:
"Why... why did you leave me behind?"
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Everyone woke up to a shocking official notification on their phones: a toxic substance leak had occurred. To ensure the safety of all citizens, a city-wide lockdown was being imposed for the next two days. Everyone was ordered to stay indoors; anyone with an urgent situation had to call a dedicated hotline and wait for a specialist to visit them.
Naturally, the news sparked a flurry of discussion, yet everyone instinctively chose to comply.
Meanwhile.
Kitahara had already teamed up with Ms. Kojima and begun scouring the area for Imposters lurking in the shadows. The day flew by, and another hundred or so "Impostors" were uncovered. Just as Kitahara had predicted, they were all ordinary-level Impostors; not a single Empress-level one was caught.
Evening arrived in a flash. Kitahara and the girls headed to Otherworld together, leaving behind the Impostor mounts they had subdued—having Hana seal them away temporarily instead of bringing them along.
There is no need to dwell on the events of Otherworld; suffice it to say, the group successfully plucked the Eden Fruit.
Mindful of the Impostor Queen lurking in the real world, Kitahara and the girls didn't linger; they returned to reality immediately after securing the fruit.
"Eight o'clock in the evening..."
Kitahara checked the time on his phone and had Hana send the other girls home first. Then, he took out an Eden Fruit and held it out to the Impostor Queen.
"With the Eden Fruit here, your companions will surely come running, won't they?"
As the aroma—perceptible even at the level of the soul—wafted into her nostrils, the Impostor Queen's eyes lit up instantly, and saliva began to stream down the corners of her mouth. Had Kitahara not been standing right in front of her, she surely would have pounced on it immediately.
"No problem!" the Impostor Queen said, staring intently at the Eden Fruit while drooling. "This is the fruit of the gods. As long as it's here, my symbiotes will definitely rush over right away."
Kitahara said dryly:
"Wipe the drool off your face while you're talking."
The Impostor Queen wiped her mouth with her sleeve and looked at him imploringly:
"After I finish Master's task, can I have a bite of the divine fruit?"
"Just one bite."
"I absolutely won't eat any more than that!"
"No need to be so cautious." Kitahara tossed the Eden Fruit straight to her. "It's all yours. As long as you behave and do as you're told, you'll be able to eat it often in the future."
This "mount's" loyalty was low, so it was necessary to boost it to prevent her from turning traitor at a critical moment. The Imposter Queen lunged forward and caught the Eden Fruit:
"Thank you, Master!"
"Don't just focus on eating," Kitahara reminded her, raising an eyebrow. "Summon your companions here."
"Mm-hmm."
After devouring the entire Eden Fruit, the Imposter Queen's loyalty surged by dozens of points:
"Master, I've already shared the experience of tasting the Fruit of the Gods with the others; they're rushing over right now."
"That's good."
"Master, those creatures are very wary. Unless they see the Eden Fruit with their own eyes, most will likely stay hidden in the shadows, with only a few coming out. If you want to round them all up at once, it would be best to give me another Fruit of the Gods to use as bait."
With her loyalty boosted, the Imposter Queen had grown noticeably closer to Kitahara and was now actively helping him plot against her own kind.
"No problem." Kitahara agreed immediately, reaching out to produce two more Eden Fruits. "One is for you to use as bait; the other is your reward once the job is done."
Trust those you employ; employ only those you trust.
Now that her loyalty had risen significantly, Kitahara was naturally at ease with his "mount."
"Thank you, Master!"
Drool poured from the Imposter Queen's mouth again as she expressed her joyful thanks; if she had a tail, it would surely be wagging furiously right now.
"..."
Half an hour later.
At a dilapidated, secluded shrine.
As the "mount" girl held up the Eden Fruit to show it off, the other Imposter Queens hiding in the shadows could no longer restrain themselves and revealed their presence one by one.
These special-class Imposters seemed to share a peculiar trait: their symbiotic hosts were exclusively female—there wasn't a male among them. Their eyes gleamed and drool ran freely as they stepped forward to ask about the origin of the Eden Fruit.
"The Fruit of the Gods is a gift from Master."
The "mount" girl puffed out her chest proudly.
"Master?"
"Since when did we have a master?"
"Wait a minute—why didn't you hog such an incredible 'Fruit of God' all to yourself instead of calling us over?"
"..."
These Impostor Queens possessed intelligence comparable to humans, and it didn't take long for some to sense that something was amiss.
The most cautious among them even managed to resist the allure of the Eden Fruit; drooling, they quietly began to back away.
Snap.
With the soft sound of a finger snap, Kitahara appeared out of thin air.
"A human?"
"A human was hiding here?"
"Oh no—it's a trap!"
"..."
Realizing the danger, the Impostor Queens scrambled to flee, but Kitahara gave them no chance; he decisively activated his ability: [You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education].
Panic instantly seized the Impostors. They had always been the ones to parasitize humans, manipulating them like puppets, yet now their own bodies were being controlled against their will. Their limbs stiffened as they walked toward Kitahara, eventually sinking into a clumsy, kneeling position before him.
"Hana-chan..."
Kitahara didn't rush to ask questions; instead, he silently communicated with Hana in his mind:
"You can come over for the buffet now."