Chapter 508. Kyousuke, You Can't~
「The powerful lineup of Inuyasha's group stunned Shirogane Miyuki, and the effects of the Shikon Jewel fragment left him feeling utterly numb.」
「He really wanted to complain that compared to his own pathetic state, Kagome was in full "overpowered female lead" mode. He also wanted to question whether it was truly logical for a mere fragment to strengthen an ordinary person to such an extent.」
「But ultimately, Shirogane Miyuki didn't say any of this, because there was something more important at hand—」
「—He gave Inuyasha a massive hug.」
「Utterly disregarding the fact that the other was currently covered in foul-smelling ink, he hugged Inuyasha—who was still wielding his giant sword—with gratitude, sincerity, and relief.」
「"Thank you, Inuyasha. Thank you, really, thank you."」
「He barely knew Inuyasha yet, and he didn't have Hikigaya Hachiman's discerning eye to tell at a glance if someone was a "real thing"... but he did it anyway.」
「The feelings he held for Inuyasha weren't just gratitude for saving his life, but other emotions as well. Inuyasha's appearance had halted his rising anger and disappointment; that was incredibly important.」
「"...Ah, um, well..."」
「Inuyasha, being hugged, was momentarily stunned. Then his face turned red, he scratched his head, his ears twitched, and his face flushed... Although he had saved many people since being unsealed by Kagome, this was the first time someone had thanked him with such passion, sincerity, and a "straight-ball" approach.」
「It made him feel a sense of warmth, a sense of honor and pride.」
「"Yo, Inuyasha, are you blushing?"」
「"Shut up!"」
「Monk Miroku winked and teased him, while Inuyasha bared his teeth and glared back. For a moment, even Sango and Kagome burst into laughter.」
「The scene was suddenly filled with a happy atmosphere—except for the dejected painter, who looked as if his entire family had died.」
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"Phew—ha~"
In the Student Council room, Shinomiya Kaguya let out a sigh of relief. Seeing her President finally escape danger once again, she finally had the leisure to scowl, condemning that ungrateful painter with a cold, murderous voice.
"A thankless, conscienceless piece of trash. He really should be chopped into bits and fed to the dogs... no, wait, he should be eaten alive piece by piece; that would be more painful!"
This viewpoint was unanimously shared across the world.
It wasn't that the worlds of Emilia or Keyaru lacked ungrateful people. But Hikigaya Hachiman's "discerning eye" ensured he would never save such a "fake thing," and as for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, no matter how selfish a person was, they wouldn't have the guts to pull something like that in front of him.
Therefore, seeing this kind of person exposed on the screen was a first. It could be said that everyone was filled with righteous indignation, feeling that Shirogane Miyuki's kindness was wasted, while also gaining a profound understanding of the perils of the Warring States period.
"Are you kidding me? I'm gonna puke!"
In the Concert Band club, Oumae Kumiko was indignant. "If this painter isn't slaughtered, I won't be able to let this go!"
"Seconded!" "Agreed!" "Plus one vote!"
In Sobu High, Advanced Nurturing High School, and other places, people were passionately discussing how to torture the painter to best vent their frustration. However, in Shuchiin, Kashiwagi Nagisa and Tanuma Tsubasa looked at each other with helpless smiles.
Unlike the students around them shouting for revenge for President Shirogane, they—who frequently visited the Student Council and knew Shirogane Miyuki well—understood something clearly. Since there were no casualties now, a man like Shirogane Miyuki would certainly not sentence the painter to death.
Meanwhile, in the Kousaka household, Kousaka Kirino frowned.
To be honest, although the three worlds shown so far all had good people, they were all relatively difficult and cruel settings; being transported there wouldn't be pleasant at all. If there were a fourth isekai in the future, it would probably be similar.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but peek at her older brother... In terms of excellence, she felt Kyousuke couldn't compare to Hikigaya, Ayanokouji, or Shirogane, but he wasn't actually bad himself. If there were a fourth isekai, maybe her brother would be a candidate for the protagonist?
"Hey, um... you better pay attention and not get isekai'd."
Feeling his sister tugging at his hem and hearing such caring words, Kousaka Kyousuke paused before breaking into a smile. Watching the videos together had indeed significantly improved his strained relationship with his rebellious sister.
In high spirits, Kousaka Kyousuke reached out and stroked his tsundere sister's head, nodding in promise: "Yeah, don't worry, Kirino. For the sake of you and Mom and Dad, I won't get hit by a truck or go looking into wells."
"Wh-What are you talking about?! I don't care what happens to you, hmph! It's just that if you get isekai'd, you'll definitely embarrass yourself and it'll reflect badly on me, that's why I said it!"
Suddenly flustered, Kousaka Kirino stumbled over her words and started stuttering. Kousaka Kyousuke saw her face turn as red as Inuyasha's and understood perfectly—though he hadn't been able to see through his sister's tsundere nature before, now that he had a reference for comparison, he had fully enlightened.
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Meanwhile, in Inuyasha's world.
In the modern era, the moment Kagome appeared, her three closest classmates in the cafe—Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka—were all dumbfounded, their mouths hanging open, unable to say a word for a long time.
Hojo, the male classmate who clearly liked Kagome and had hinted at his feelings several times, was even more direct; his brain went "buzz" and he went completely blank. Hojo wasn't some low-EQ blockhead; it was very easy to see that Kagome liked that Inuyasha.
Whether it was the tone of their conversation, the concern shown during battle, or the teasing afterward, there was a profound emotional connection—it almost felt like an old married couple.
Hojo-kun: Total Defeat!
"Hooray!"
Human joys and sorrows are not shared. At this moment, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango were high-fiving and cheering. This was a great moment; since they had merged paths, the probability of telling the truth had appeared. Erasing Kikyo's hatred starts today.
And in a certain place, the painter was fuming, veins popping, cursing non-stop. "Damn it! Scoundrel! Bastard! Aaaaagghh, you dare make me look like a fool, you dare look down on me, I—I—aaaaagghh!"
"Found him!"
Interrupting his cursing was a shout filled with extreme excitement. Following the shout, the sound of hoofbeats approached. The ambitious warlords had arrived with their army—the painter hadn't intentionally hidden his tracks, so it was easy for everyone to find him.
In the future broadcast, the painter was shown to be very powerful. This didn't scare the warlords away, because the army would be the ones charging; these "great men" were waiting in the back to reap the fruits of victory. And rather than saying they weren't scared away, it would be more accurate to say their ambition was further fueled.
If a single fragment could make a destitute ordinary painter so strong, if the fragments fell into the hands of samurai like them who could fight three men at once, wouldn't they be even stronger? After becoming stronger, they could invade other countries and unify Japan—that would be too comfortable.
"I'm gonna be rich! Hahaha!"
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