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The night was hazy.
Amamiya Natsuki walked beside Shadow Juju, the two of them strolling along the dimly lit street.
"Where did you drop your stuff?"
"Just up ahead," Shadow Juju said expressionlessly, "Don't ask so many questions, we'll be there soon."
Amamiya Natsuki said, "You've already said that twice."
Shadow Juju looked up, "Weren't you the same before?"
Amamiya Natsuki asked in confusion, "When did I ever say that?"
Shadow Juju snorted, "That day in my room, you tricked me into helping you… Lewd!"
Halfway through her sentence, Shadow Juju pursed her lips.
Even for a Shadow duplicate, some things were too embarrassing to say aloud.
"What do you mean, 'tricked'?" Amamiya Natsuki retorted, his expression stern. "That day at the hotel in Chiba Prefecture, I clearly served Juju as well."
"Shut up!"
"…"
A few minutes later.
Shadow Juju stopped at the entrance of a hot spring inn, looked up at Amamiya Natsuki, and said coldly, "Go in. Everyone's inside."
Wait, who is "everyone"?
He had a really bad feeling about this.
At this moment, the ordinary-looking hot spring inn in front of him quietly transformed into a dragon's den, or rather, a spider's web of female demons. If he walked in, he'd only be carried out.
Amamiya Natsuki coughed twice and said, "My stomach suddenly hurts so much. You go find something first, and I'll come help later."
Snap.
Shadow Juju grabbed Amamiya Natsuki's wrist and tilted her head to look at him. "There's a restroom inside the inn."
Amamiya Natsuki said, "I can't hold it."
Shadow Juju: "It's perfect for a bath if you can't hold it."
After speaking, Shadow Juju used force and directly pulled Amamiya Natsuki into the inn.
The inn was quiet; there were no other tourists inside. Behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman in a yukata, playing on her phone, completely ignoring Shadow Juju's rough behavior.
Walking through the hallway, Shadow Juju quickly arrived at a room door, raised her hand to knock, and calmly said, "Open the door."
Click.
The door opened.
A pink-haired girl with a good figure and a hairband stood behind the door. Her bright eyes shifted to Amamiya Natsuki behind her, and she softly said, "Ah~ it's Natsuki-kun."
Amamiya Natsuki straightened his collar and smiled, "Senpai, good evening."
He didn't even need a hint; this Senpai in front of him was definitely a Shadow duplicate, because she didn't have a trace of a smile on her face after meeting him. If it were the real Senpai, she wouldn't have such a cold expression.
[Congratulations, you have discovered a Shadow Tsubame that can be played with freely]
They weren't even human; who would be desperate enough to play with Shadows!
"Natsuki-kun, good evening." Tsubame's voice was still sweet and pleasant, but unfortunately, her face lacked a smile. She softly said, "Come in first."
Since he was already here, it would be unreasonable to run away now.
Amamiya Natsuki quietly took a breath and stepped into the room.
Upon entering, he looked up and saw a Shoko kneeling properly in front of the television, watching TV.
Needless to say, it must be Shadow Shoko; the real Shoko was still at the park at this time.
"Shoko, good evening." Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand to greet her.
[After careful observation, you have discovered a Shadow Shoko]
The the timid girl looked over at the sound and articulated clearly, "…Good evening."
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Incredible, truly incredible.
The Shadow duplicate had successfully cured her communication disorder.
At the same time.
Thump thump thump.
The crisp sound of wooden clogs on the floor came from the backyard. Before she even appeared, an exceptionally familiar voice drifted in.
"I heard Natsuki's voice… Where, where is he?"
A Marin with waist-length blonde hair appeared at the inner courtyard entrance. Her wet blonde hair hung down to her waist, and she wore no clothes, not even a towel. She simply walked in openly.
[After careful observation, you have encountered an unclad Shadow Marin]
Very good.
Shadow Juju, Shadow Tsubame, Shadow Marin, Shadow Shoko, plus the traitorous Shadow Chika, were finally all present.
The five girls must have been copied while they were together, and after being copied, they retained their memories, so they naturally acted together.
"That's right, it's the real Natsuki." Seeing Amamiya Natsuki, Shadow Marin's face broke into a smile. "Not that impostor."
Amamiya Natsuki raised his right hand and greeted her again, "Marin, good evening."
Shadow Marin put her hands on her hips and said, "I'm not good at all."
Shadow Tsubame frowned slightly, reminding her, "Marin, you should put on some clothes first."
"What does it matter if I wear them or not?" Shadow Marin said indifferently. "Anyway, all of us have already been seen completely by Natsuki, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand and said, "That was for a reason…"
"For a reason?" Shadow Marin looked over. "Kissing and hugging were also for a reason? And while dating me, you turned around and said you liked Senpai, was cheating also for a reason?"
Shadow Tsubame: "Natsuki-kun truly went too far."
Shadow Juju: "Scumbag Natsuki."
Shadow Shoko: "…Super out of line."
Amamiya Natsuki coughed lightly, "You clearly agreed to date together at the time."
"That's the problem." Shadow Marin crossed her arms over her chest. "You dared to say something as outrageous as wanting to date everyone, and we even agreed… Why on earth? You actually hypnotized us, didn't you?"
Shadow Tsubame softly said, "Natsuki-kun, what exactly are those memory mists in our memories?"
Amamiya Natsuki feigned confusion, "What memory mists?"
"Don't pretend, Stupid Natsuki." Shadow Juju snorted coldly. "Chika suddenly disappeared this afternoon, and we haven't found her after so long. She must have fallen into your hands, right? You definitely know what we're talking about."
Amamiya Natsuki shook his head: "I don't know."
Shadow Juju: "You do know."
"Stop talking nonsense with the scumbag." Shadow Marin waved her hand and said coldly, "First, tie him up and beat him, then ask him all the questions while we're beating him."
Amamiya Natsuki said solemnly, "I would rather die than yield."
"You won't yield, huh?" Shadow Juju tilted her head and looked over, pulling out a strand of hair that transformed into a dagger. Her gaze moved down Amamiya Natsuki's abdomen, "Then I'll [beep] you."
What on earth did you say to become a bleeped-out word!
Amamiya Natsuki had already planned to use Time Stop to achieve a four-kill achievement, but a prompt suddenly appeared before him:
[The widespread memory mist phenomenon has successfully piqued the interest of the Hiruko no Kami. Before the truth of the memory mist is interrogated, you will temporarily not encounter danger, so you decide…]
"So that's it."
Amamiya Natsuki suddenly understood. No wonder the Shadow girls in front of him didn't directly stab him upon meeting, unlike Shadow Chika this afternoon. It turned out to be a task from the Hiruko no Kami.
There must be other players in the Summer Time Rendering instance, their number unknown. Amamiya Natsuki even suspected that these players had done something that caused all the tourists on the cruise ship to be copied. The memory mist phenomenon appearing in many Shadow duplicates could not even be peered into by the Hiruko no Kami in the cave system, greatly piquing the Hiruko no Kami's interest. Thus, the Shadow duplicates all received a task: to find out the truth of the memory mist by any means necessary.
"Wait a moment." Seeing Shadow Marin approach to tie him up, Amamiya Natsuki decisively stretched out his right hand. "If you want to know anything, you can ask directly. I will answer everything."
Shadow Marin stopped, her eyes suspicious, "Are you sure you'll answer?"
"Of course I will." Amamiya Natsuki said solemnly, "Because I… like Marin the most."
"Heh heh."
A cold laugh rang out.
Shadow Juju crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a dissatisfied cold laugh.
Amamiya Natsuki looked over at the sound: "I like Juju too."
"And Senpai and Shoko." Amamiya Natsuki continued to look at Senpai and the the timid girl, softly saying, "No matter what, this sincerity will not change."
Shadow Tsubame tilted her head and looked over: "Confessing to four girls at once, Natsuki-kun, don't you think that's too much?"
Shadow Juju: "Scumbag."
Shadow Marin: "Everyone must have been hypnotized by Natsuki."
Amamiya Natsuki sighed softly, and said faintly:
"In your memories, you must have seen many evil spirits that ordinary people cannot see, right?"
Shadow Tsubame softly said, "What's the deal with those evil spirits?"
Amamiya Natsuki shook his head and said, "The existence of memory mist is difficult to explain, but I can let you experience it."
Shadow Marin asked curiously, "How do I experience it?"
"It's simple…"
Amamiya Natsuki raised his right hand and lightly snapped his fingers.
The next moment.
A mushroom grew out of thin air on the heads of the four Shadow girls.
"Eh?" Shadow Juju said in surprise, "Shoko-chan, a mushroom appeared on your head."
Shadow Shoko looked up, calmly saying, "Juju's head also has a mushroom."
"Marin's head also has a mushroom." Shadow Tsubame touched her head, also feeling some object. "Is this the secret Natsuki-kun mentioned?"
"That's right." Amamiya Natsuki walked over and sat beside Shadow Shoko, then turned to instruct her, "Shoko, peel an orange for me to eat."
"Hmm?"
Shadow Shoko frowned and looked over.
Amamiya Natsuki put on a stern face and threatened, "Hurry up, or I'll kiss you."
"…"
Although this Shoko was a Shadow clone and not as timid as her original, her personality weaknesses had not been completely overcome. When Amamiya Natsuki glared at her, she subconsciously picked up an orange and began peeling it.
"Before I talk about the Memory Mist, I also have a question for you all," Amamiya Natsuki inquired, "Where is Yote?"
Kaguya and Yukino's subsequent dungeon quests required killing Yote, but this entity only had a codename; his whereabouts and abilities were completely unknown.
When hunting the three Shadows previously, Amamiya Natsuki had asked for information about Yote, but unfortunately, there were no clues at all.
Shadow Tsubame paused, confused, and asked, "Who is Yote?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "He should be one of your kind."
"I don't recall anyone by that name," Shadow Marin said, hands on her hips, still not having put on her clothes. She shook her head and added, "But I do know a very terrifying guy with four arms. Perhaps he's the one you're looking for."
Amamiya Natsuki's eyes lit up as he said, "Where is he?"
"He's right…" Shadow Marin stopped mid-sentence, pursed her pink lips, and tilted her head. "Natsuki almost tricked me again. If you want to know, tell us the truth about the Memory Mist first."
Amamiya Natsuki said seriously, "I have never tricked Marin."
Shadow Marin clenched her fists: "Damn it, you tricked my feelings and won't even admit it."
Amamiya Natsuki retorted, "If I secretly dated you all, that would be called tricking feelings. But I openly said I want all of you, so how can that be considered trickery?"
Shadow Marin: "…"
Shameless!
Although she didn't know what exactly happened in the Memory Mist, this guy was absolutely brazen!
"The orange is peeled."
Shadow Shoko said softly.
Amamiya Natsuki turned to look at her: "Shoko, feed me."
Shadow Shoko's delicate brows furrowed: "No, eat it yourself."
"Although I don't know how you're going to deal with me later, you definitely won't let me leave this room easily, right?" Amamiya Natsuki looked at Shadow Komi, his voice low, "So, I want Shoko to feed me personally. This is my life's only request."
"…"
Shadow Shoko hesitated slightly, then peeled a segment of orange with her slender fingers and brought it to Amamiya Natsuki's mouth.
As a Shadow clone, the the timid girl's emotions were naturally copied in full. Feeding him an orange segment was fine. Of course, for Hiruko no Kami, when it was time to strike, she would not hesitate at all.
"It tastes super good." Amamiya Natsuki ate the orange. "Another segment."
"…"
Shadow Shoko pursed her pink lips and peeled another segment of orange, offering it to him.
Shadow Juju frowned and said, "Don't get carried away, you fellow."
"Oh, right." Amamiya Natsuki looked over at the sound. "And Juju, I really want to eat an orange fed by Juju."
Shadow Juju was expressionless: "Impossible."
Amamiya Natsuki said, "Then I won't tell any secrets."
Shadow Marin casually picked up a bath towel, wrapped it around herself, then sat opposite Amamiya Natsuki, reaching for an orange and saying, "I'll also feed Natsuki an orange. Anyway, you won't have another chance to eat later. We'll split you with a hatchet soon."
Amamiya Natsuki: "…"
Is it really okay to say it so directly?
You're clearly determined to kill someone!
"Here, open wide." Shadow Marin offered a segment of orange. "Natsuki, do you have any other wishes? Just say them."
Amamiya Natsuki ate the orange, then turned to Shadow Tsubame and said, "Senpai wasn't at Forest Camp. Now I want to hear Senpai say 'I like you'."
Tsubame calmly said, "Even if I don't say it, Natsuki-kun knows my answer, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "There's a big difference between saying some things and not saying them."
After a slight two-second silence, Shadow Tsubame calmly said, "At least in my memory, I do like Natsuki-kun."
Amamiya Natsuki then said, "What about everyone dating together?"
Shadow Tsubame's eyes narrowed: "Scum must die."
"…"
The two oranges were quickly eaten.
"Don't stall for time anymore." Shadow Juju crossed her arms and snorted, "Hurry up and speak."
"Understood, it's almost time indeed."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded, raised his right hand, and gently snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The next second.
The mushrooms on top of the four Shadow girls' heads instantly exploded, and sin began to entangle them.
It had been verified on Shadow Chika before that the skill would affect Shadow beings. Under the entanglement of sin, the bodies of the four Shadow girls immediately trembled.
"So… so strange… my body suddenly feels so strange… I really want to…"
"Stupid Natsuki, what did you do… I'm so hungry…"
"Is… is it because of the mushroom just now?"
Under the influence of sin, the usually calm wills of the Shadow beings trembled and distorted, experiencing for the first time what it meant to feel an irresistible desire for sin.
"It's a special ability similar to yours, the Sin mushroom." Amamiya Natsuki explained while picking up an orange, peeling it, and then flicking it towards Shadow Juju. "Try it."
"Mmm…"
Shadow Juju wanted to refuse, but her body wouldn't obey. She suddenly stood up and quickly caught the orange with her mouth.
"The mushroom that grew on Juju's head is a Gluttony Mushroom." Amamiya Natsuki peeled another segment of orange and threw it to Juju. "For the next period of time, Juju will be super hungry."
Shadow Tsubame clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly, and a suspicious flush quietly appeared on her pretty face: "…S-Seven Deadly Sins?"
"Correct answer." Amamiya Natsuki looked at Shadow Tsubame and smiled, "Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Pride, Greed… What Senpai wants to do now is the Sin mushroom that just grew out."
Shadow Tsubame's voice trembled slightly: "I… I don't want to do anything…"
"Is that so?"
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly, then suddenly stretched out his right hand and pulled Shadow Tsubame into his embrace.
Upon skin contact, some incredible magic seemed to instantly sweep through her body, making Shadow Tsubame lose the strength to resist. She could only breathe rapidly and allow herself to be handled.
Amamiya Natsuki smiled and said, "It seems Senpai just grew a lust mushroom."
"Hoo… hoo…"
As Shadow beings, they were fundamentally not the same species as humans, but at this moment, Shadow Tsubame truly experienced the human [BEEP] impulse for the first time.
"Ahhh! Natsuki, don't touch Senpai!"
Shadow Marin immediately shouted, puffing out her pink cheeks angrily, and stepped forward to separate the two.
Amamiya Natsuki decisively took out a magic rope and tied up Shadow Marin: "It seems Marin just grew an Envy mushroom."
"This emotion… so it's envy?"
Shadow Marin was bound by the magic rope and distorted her body, trying to break free, but couldn't.
Amamiya Natsuki said, "Marin, please tell me Yote's location."
"Impossible!" Shadow Marin was quite stubborn. "Don't even think about it!"
"Then this will be difficult."
Amamiya Natsuki sighed, and in front of Shadow Marin, he placed his right hand on Shadow Tsubame's thigh. The sensation of the absolute territory was exceptionally comfortable.
"Mmm…"
Shadow Tsubame's body immediately trembled, and a low hum escaped her lips. She subconsciously raised her arms and wrapped them around Amamiya Natsuki's neck.
Under Shadow Marin's envious gaze, Amamiya Natsuki's right hand began to move upward, exploring deeper little by little.
"So… so angry!" Shadow Marin gritted her silver teeth. "Get your hand out of there!"
"I refuse."
Not only did Amamiya Natsuki not take his hand out, but he also squeezed Senpai's thigh.
"Mm…"
Shadow Tsubame, who had never experienced the feeling of being entangled by sin, hummed again. The high wall of indifference finally crumbled, and under the instinctive pull of sin, she couldn't help but lean in and kiss Amamiya Natsuki.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones=1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr | 16 novels being updated, I can't read all comments