Chapter 48: Remilia: Awoo!
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"Heh… hahaha! Didn't see this coming, did you? The weak, helpless me from before is long gone! Standing before you now is the invincible me!"
Kihara stood proudly with his hands on his hips, laughing arrogantly at Akane Shinjo and Rikka Takarada, who were leaning against each other, breathless and exhausted.
At long last—he had reclaimed his pride.
Through an intense "discussion" on human reproduction and philosophy, he had successfully defeated the two girls.
…At least, that's what he thought.
The smug grin on his face looked especially irritating to Akane. Even though he was her boyfriend, she suddenly had the strong urge to see him pushed into a corner—helpless, flustered, maybe even a little regretful.
She glanced sideways.
Rikka, flushed and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, was thinking the exact same thing.
The two girls exchanged a silent nod.
A faint glow shimmered around them as they instantly changed into their Tsutsujidai High uniforms. One in black, one in white—their long legs moved in perfect sync as they pinned Kihara back onto the bed.
Fantasy was beautiful.
Reality… was brutal.
Kihara seemed to have forgotten one crucial detail.
Yes, he was immortal.
But his stamina was not.
When his consciousness finally returned to his body—from what felt like a brief visit to the Sanzu River alongside a certain red-haired shinigami—the sky outside was already beginning to brighten.
In a certain sense… he had been completely drained by his two girlfriends and sent on a one-way trip to the afterlife.
Thankfully, the red-haired shinigami hadn't taken his "H-soul."
That said, Akane and Rikka didn't come out unscathed either.
The next morning, both girls were walking along the wall just to keep their balance while heading to breakfast.
A mutual defeat.
"I'm planning to keep fishing today to earn money. By tomorrow, we should finally be able to start demolishing and rebuilding the houses."
Three days had passed since the shrine engagement incident.
Kihara's daily life hadn't changed much.
He was still in Pelican Town, living a disciplined routine—out at six in the morning, back at nine at night.
Occasionally, he'd treat Cirno to some popsicles. Thankfully, the little ice fairy had finally realized that freezing milk into popsicles didn't magically multiply the amount—so she had stopped trying to bring them back to share with her friends.
Marisa, on the other hand, would always sneak in to steal things whenever Akane and Rikka returned to the Gridman world.
But every single time, Kihara would catch her using acceleration mode and then forcefully use her as a body pillow for the night.
The next morning, Marisa would wake up in his arms, her face bright red. She'd glare at him with teary, seductive eyes, then grab her broom and fly off in embarrassment.
…Though sometimes, Kihara couldn't help but feel like there was a faint trace of moisture left on his fingers.
Strangely, whenever he checked, there was nothing there.
Only Marisa's lingering scent remained unusually strong.
On another note—
Akane had made an unexpected discovery.
By working on construction, she could actually level up a Carpenter class.
And after leveling up, she could even build structures that didn't exist in the original game—things like signal base stations and communication towers.
Modern technology.
This discovery gave Kihara a rough vision for Pelican Town's future.
Once the ruined buildings were restored, he planned to gradually raise the town's standard of living to modern levels—without damaging its natural environment.
After all, the current situation.
Long-distance communication by shouting,
Security handled by dogs, transportation by walking was simply unbearable for someone used to modern life.
As for introducing this technology into Gensokyo…
Kihara decided against it—for now.
Youkai had their own way of life. Spreading technology too quickly might not sit well with Yukari Yakumo.
Plans were one thing.
Right now, he still needed money.
So he pushed aside his wandering thoughts and focused on fishing.
At noon, Rikka came by to deliver his lunch.
After eating, the two shared a brief, affectionate moment by the pier before she left with the empty lunchbox.
Kihara returned to fishing, quietly enjoying the calm.
Just as he was thinking how peaceful life could be…
Two unexpected visitors disrupted that tranquility.
Remilia Scarlet arrived at the pier, sheltered beneath a parasol held by Sakuya Izayoi.
The moment she saw Kihara.
Her mouth began to water uncontrollably.
Ever since tasting his blood last time, Remilia had lost all appetite for anything else. She barely ate or drank, worrying her ever-loyal head maid.
Only later did Sakuya realize.
It wasn't illness.
It was addiction.
Kihara's blood was simply too delicious.
Remilia had been obsessing over ways to revise their previous agreement—so she could drink from him more frequently.
And yesterday's incident had given her the perfect excuse.
Everyone in Gensokyo knew.
When the Scarlet Devil Mansion first arrived, Remilia caused the Scarlet Mist Incident to block out the sun.
Naturally, it didn't last long.
She was swiftly defeated by the undefeated shrine maiden.
Reimu Hakurei.
Forced to accept defeat, Remilia swallowed her pride.
But she never forgot the humiliation.
And now—
Kihara, Reimu's "fiancé," was the perfect target for revenge.
A soft target.
Reimu's fiancé paying her debts?
Perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
Just imagining that sweet, rich blood again.
Remilia could barely suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
"H-Human—no, Kihara! Put down your fishing rod. I have business with you!"
"My, Lady Remilia personally coming to see me? This must be something important."
His polite attitude caught her off guard.
After all, you don't slap a smiling face.
Unsure how to proceed, Remilia glanced at Sakuya for help.
"Kihara," Sakuya said calmly, "Reimu once insulted the dignity of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. You will bear that humiliation in her place."
"That's right!" Remilia nodded firmly.
"…Sigh. Didn't expect to get dragged into this mess for Reimu's sake."
Kihara wanted to refuse.
But if he played this right… it might actually help him get closer to Reimu.
So he reluctantly accepted.
"Alright. How much does she owe?"
"The Scarlet Devil Mansion has no need for money," Sakuya replied. "You will simply provide blood to milady once more."
"…Blood, huh? That's manageable. Go ahead."
Seeing him agree so easily, even Sakuya looked slightly surprised.
Her impression of him improved.
Even if it was just a title, he was willing to take responsibility as a fiancé.
Kihara rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm toward Sakuya.
But before she could act.
Remilia suddenly dashed forward under her parasol.
"Ah—!"
She bit down on his arm without hesitation.
"L-Lady Remilia!?"
Sakuya froze.
But Remilia couldn't hear her anymore.
The moment the blood touched her lips.
Her eyes closed in bliss.
Every cell in her body seemed to sing with satisfaction.
Warmth spread through her, as if she had regained a living body… as if she were truly alive again.
She had never tasted anything this delicious.
I need to find a way… to take him from Reimu.
He must belong to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Thud!
"Ow—what the heck, Yukari?! Why'd you just throw me here—wait… Remilia, what are you doing to my cash cow?!"
Black hair fluttering wildly, Reimu landed on the scene, furious.
She grabbed her gohei and was about to charge.
But Sakuya stepped in front of her.
A knife gleamed coldly in her hand.
"Milady is enjoying her meal," she said icily.
"Reimu… I cannot allow you to interrupt."
And just like that—
Another chaotic incident was about to unfold.
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Thank you for reading.