bacchusnovels Chapter 243 241: Tricking Itto
Chapter 243 241: Tricking Itto
If two strange characters suddenly rushed up to you in the middle of the night and started peddling products with fanatical devotion, what would you think?
Well... "peddling products" wasn't exactly a wrong way to describe it. In any case, Arataki Itto currently only had one thought:
These two are out of their minds.
"W-what Miss Hina?! I want Shinobu! Not Hina!"
If he weren't an Oni himself, Itto might have considered grabbing a handful of beans and throwing them at the two of them. He wasn't sure if these flickering "ghosts" were afraid of beans, but he certainly was. If they were all supernatural beings, maybe they shared the same phobias?
"That is because you do not know Miss Hina well enough. Once you understand her deeply, you will realize just how charming she truly is."
Yae Miko produced a Miss Hina poster she had prepared overnight and displayed it before Itto. One had to admit, when it came to the art of allure, Yae Miko was the superior professional.
Bai Luo had already coaxed Gorou into striking poses that were designed to catch the male eye, but after Yae Miko's "processing," those poses became something else entirely—something that made one's heart itch with desire.
Had she made massive changes? Not really. She had simply made minor adjustments: she'd softened the fiery red of the lips and curved the smile at the corners of the mouth to look a bit more playful. She also added some heart-shaped special effects and some artistic typography.
These changes made Miss Hina look sexy, yet simultaneously mischievous and cute. She was provocative without being vulgar; she was adorable without being childish. Despite her canine features, she looked like a little wildcat, her little paws and pads scratching relentlessly at the viewer's heart.
It was the feeling you get when you have an itch on your back that you can't reach, and someone's hand finally finds the exact spot. In a word: bliss.
"Exactly! And the first person to write a letter to Miss Hina has a chance to win a limited-edition Oni Kabuto—'Crimson Whirlwind'!"
If Yae Miko's words had lit a small flame in Itto's heart, Bai Luo's words were a bucket of gasoline thrown onto the fire. It didn't just burn; it exploded.
"Limited-edition Oni Kabuto? Crimson Whirlwind?!"
"That's right! You have a chance to win!" Bai Luo emphasized the word "chance" heavily.
But at this moment, how could Itto possibly notice such a minor detail? The combination of Miss Hina and a super-rare, limited-edition Oni Kabuto was a direct hit to his every hobby. And to top it off...
"Not only that, we will also randomly select one lucky winner to receive an exquisite, limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG gift set!"
"OH! You really have that?! Isn't this just perfectly made-to-order for the Great Itto?! Where is this publishing house?! This Boss is going there right now!"
Bai Luo and Yae Miko didn't say a word. They simply exchanged a glance and wore identical, "scheme-successful" grins.
"Bai-style Physical Deep Hypnosis!"
WHACK—
***
The first rays of the morning sun hit Kuki Shinobu's face. Having slept the entire night, she finally felt the stimulus of the light and slowly opened her eyes. This was the first time since joining the Arataki Gang that she had slept so comfortably.
The little sparrows pecking at the Lavender Melons noticed her movement, chirped in alarm, and fluttered up into the tree canopy. They were still reluctant to leave the food on the ground.
"I am..."
As she sat up, her face mask slid off. She caught it in her hand, trying to piece together what had happened.
Hmm... she remembered roasting Lavender Melons when she spotted her sister. To avoid her, she...
'Wait? What did I do to avoid her? Why can't I remember anything?'
Furthermore, she clearly remembered putting her mask on properly. Why did it just fall off the moment she sat up? Had someone touched her mask?
"Boss!"
Shinobu instinctively looked toward Itto, only to find her Boss hugging Mamoru tightly. Itto was drooling, mumbling things about "Hina," "Oni Kabuto," and "Crimson Whirlwind."
As for Mamoru... he looked miserable. His face was pale, and no matter how much he twitched, he couldn't wake up. It was as if he were possessed.
Shinobu frowned. She reached out and grasped a stalk of Naku Weed, which seemed to crackle with the sound of distant thunder.
"Naku Weed Circlet, Ward off Calamity!"
The Naku Weed Circlet was a technique used by shrine maidens. A legend at the shrine claimed that weaving Naku Weed into a ring and wearing it could dispel misfortune. While it was mostly superstition, the numbing sensation the plant provided could indeed alleviate certain types of pain.
Even after leaving her career as a shrine maiden, Shinobu hadn't forgotten the arts. Even if she returned today, she could step back into her duties perfectly.
Lightning flickered across Mamoru's body, causing even the Itto who was hugging him to shiver a few times. Yet, even in this state, the two remained in a deep slumber.
"What on earth is going on?"
Turning her gaze to Genta and Akira, Shinobu noticed that although they weren't being squeezed by the Boss, they were also sleeping soundly. Despite the commotion she just made, they didn't react at all.
This wasn't a normal reaction. Usually, even a light cough from her would have them scrambling to their feet.
'What happened last night'
Though she had only been an apprentice, she had seen similar cases. Such deep lethargy was usually caused by either drugs or a malevolent spirit. But would any spirit actually dare to possess the Boss? In a way, the Boss was a supernatural being himself.
As for drugs... their condition didn't look like the result of chemicals.
'Do I really have to go to Mt. Yougou to ask the Lady Guuji for help?'
Shinobu looked toward the mountain. Truthfully, she didn't want to go back there unless absolutely necessary.
While she was debating with herself, everyone except Itto suddenly opened their eyes at the same time.
"BOSS?!"
Mamoru woke up in a daze, immediately feeling the crushing pressure around him. When he realized who was hugging him, he panicked and started flailing, but it was futile. Itto was an Oni, after all; even without a Vision, his strength was far beyond what Mamoru could muster.
"It's alright, Mamoru. If I'm not mistaken, the Boss should be waking up very soon."
Shinobu, the "Brain" of the Arataki Gang, seemed to have figured out the pattern. Whatever entity had put them into this deep sleep, it at least bore no malice. Otherwise, they wouldn't have woken up at all.
This left her even more confused. What was the goal?
'Did someone really do all this just to see what I look like under my mask?'
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