Retribution

The day after I did that mat play with Shiori-chan at her house.

Feeling quite satisfied and refreshed from being able to finish inside after such a long time, I was watching TV.

[The person found in the abandoned building is Hiroya Karataki. He was found severely weakened, and due to the significant damage in the building, the police suspect he might've been involved in some incident…]

The news on TV was about an unemployed middle-aged man found in a decrepit building.

Why was he even there?

[It seems Karataki-san had previously assaulted his superior at his former workplace.]

[That's scary! Looks can be deceiving, huh?]

[No kidding. Sometimes the quietest people can snap all of a sudden.]

Geez. This poor man, who was merely found in a weakened state, is now the subject of gossip on a talk show. How pitiful.

Suddenly changing the channel, I caught a new car commercial.

[Experience the joy of driving! Let's embark on an adventure this weekend!]

"Oh, a new car from Rokusei Pleiades. They're known for their horizontally opposed engine and their strong touring wagons."

Considering it, I no longer had to drive the company car. I'd love to try driving a foreign coupe for a change!

"But I don't have the money!"

[You've been mumbling to yourself a lot lately.]

After finishing its meal, Kyui flapped its wings lightly and landed on the bed.

Speaking of which, it didn't shed any feathers at all.

[It's been eight days since we returned to Japan. Do you plan on staying here much longer?]

"Yeah. As I've mentioned before, I'm thinking of at least taking a ten day break. But Kyui, do you still not know the conditions for bringing things to the other world and back?"

So far, I'd only traveled twice. For now, all I knew was that I couldn't bring clothes back from the other side.

[Hmm… I have been gathering information, but there's still a lot of ambiguity. Remember, this is also my first time freely traveling between two worlds.]

"Really?"

[Yes. As I've said before, once you leave the Heroic Realm, there are set conditions to return. Usually, you'd spend the rest of your life in the world you've traveled to.]

Ah, right. Either the contracted hero dies, or a certain amount of Hero Points is accumulated before one can return to the Heroic Realm.

"You're like a migratory bird, huh?"

[An apt comparison.]

"So, what do you usually do when I'm at my part-time job? You're usually home alone, right?"

I often went out with Kyui, but when I was at work, it'd usually be home alone. Given its form, Kyui couldn't use a smartphone, so I figured it'd be bored.

[I watch TV or go outside to gather various information.]

"Wait, you've been going outside!?"

[Yes.]

"How?"

[Through the window as normal.]

Hold on, how exactly? Now that I think about it, there were times recently when the window lock was left open. Was that Kyui's doing…?

[If my powers were at their full strength, I could just fly around a bit and gather most of the information I needed. However, that's not possible for now, so I've been leisurely exploring and sightseeing.]

"Is that so?"

Well, as long as Kyui is satisfied, that's what matters most.

[Speaking of which… I want steak. Touya, go buy a thick slab of steak meat. One that drips with juicy goodness…]

"We don't have that kind of money! I always buy you some kind of meat, don't I?"

How much chicken or pork do you think I could buy with the money for one steak…?!

By the way, Kyui, lacking any sense of kinship, would eat any meat, even chicken.

"Really… You should help out with making money too…"

Maybe I could have it do some tricks and upload a video? But I've heard that monetizing content has become more challenging recently. And is it worth the risk of exposing our identities? I'm not quite ready for that yet. Well, if we ever really struggle financially, I might consider it.

"Anyway, I'm off to work. While I'm gone, think about what we could bring to the other world."

[Understood.]

I guess when we go to the other world, I'll start by selling clothes again…

As I was lost in thought, Kyui called out to me.

[Wait.]

"Hmm?"

[I've changed my mind. I'll accompany you to your part-time job today.]

"… Excuse me?"

 

*

 

"Good morning!"

"Hey, Kogou. I'll be counting on you today… wait, you really brought your bird along?"

While Kyui's decision to accompany me was sudden, Morimura-san gladly accepted it.

He seemed curious about the bird I kept and wanted to see it.

"It really sits on your head! That's an impressively smart bird!"

"Well, yeah… Look, Kyui. Don't get in the way of the customers or work."

[I'm well aware.]

Kyui could let others hear its voice, but it can also communicate in a way that only I, his contractor, could hear. Right now, only I can hear Kyui's voice.

I changed into my work clothes and start preparing for the store's opening at the counter. Kurumi walked in a few moments after.

"… Good morning."

"Hey."

"Morning."

[Hmm. Minegari Kurumi, 150cm tall, B-cup. Sexual experience… both front and back, none. Never been kissed. A virgin. But seems to have a fair bit of experience with self-pleasure.]

I wonder why greetings in customer service part-time jobs always seem to be good morning regardless of the time… Is it a regional thing?

… … …! Wait, hold on! What was that shocking piece of information I just heard!?

Wait, Kyui. Do you have some kind of ability to see someone's erotic stats!?

I plan on asking Kyui about it later… But right now, Kurumi's greeting felt different, less lively than usual.

After changing, I approached Kurumi at the counter.

"What's wrong, Kurumi? You don't seem as lively today."

"Eeeh…"

"I mean, it's just that your greeting didn't have its usual energy."

… This isn't harassment, okay?

I'm not saying she should greet me with more enthusiasm, but…!

"Is there any particular reason you're concerned about how I said hi, Senpai?"

"Well…"

That's cold! I was just showing concern!

Don't you realize that I know about your not-so-infrequent self-pleasure sessions, despite your innocent face!?

"More importantly, that bird is…?"

"Oh, it's a bird I keep at home, named Kyui."

"Huh…"

… She really doesn't seem herself. Normally, she would have reacted more enthusiastically to Kyui.

Morimura-san also seemed concerned about Kurumi's state. He tugged on my arm and whispered to me.

"Just let her be for now."

"Huh?"

"Women have their tough days."

Well, she should've taken a break from her shift then…!

But I guess Kurumi has her reasons for choosing a late-night shift.

With that, the shift began with a less enthusiastic Kurumi than usual.

 

*

 

The place was quite lively today, thanks to Kyui's presence.

"What a smart bird!"

"Indeed. It even perched on my finger!"

"Look here, a walnut treat for you."

[Hmm. Tastes like crap sprinkled with chemicals; a poor, bland flavor with lots of off-notes.]

What the heck did it taste like then? Anyway, Kyui had captured everyone's attention for being such an obedient and intelligent bird. Although the place usually attracted quiet drinkers… well, not that they were getting wild because of Kyui or anything. It seemed Kyui had learned that it could get treats if it perched on fingers or shoulders, so it remained calm for the most part.

"I guess these are the last customers for the day…"

It's about time. Maybe I should start cleaning up a bit…

As I was thinking that, Morimura-san, having finished a phone call, spoke up.

"Kogou, Minegari. I'm stepping out for a bit; can you hold down the fort?"

"Huh?"

Morimura-san casually instructed us to watch over the bar.

"Where are you going?"

"Just to the convenience store."

"If you need something, I can go."

"They have a variety of things I need. When I get back, we'll close up for the day. Please start cleaning up in the meantime."

Saying that, Morimura-san left the bar. I remembered him occasionally leaving the bar in our hands to run errands. Feeling an odd tension in the air, Kurumi and I began cleaning up. Normally, she would strike up a conversation on her own…

"Hey, Kuru—"

Just as I was about to speak to Kurumi, the bar door opened.

I'd thought that maybe Morimura-san had returned, but standing at the entrance were two unfamiliar young men.

We're almost closing… I should let them know.

"Excuse m—…"

"Whoa!? It really is Kurumi!"

"Told ya! She's been working here for a while!"

"… Huh?"

The two intimidating men were directing a fierce smile at Kurumi.

"Ishidate… san."

"Hey, Kurumi! Why the hell are you working in a place like this, huh?!"

The two men approached Kurumi and began speaking without sitting down.

"We've been searching for you for a long time, you know!?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's your fault our shop got into such a mess, right? Eh, don't tell me you've forgotten?"

"That was…! It's because a customer…"

"Excuses won't cut it, you chibi! The fact that you caused trouble for the customers and the store is undeniable! That's the bottom line!"

"Or do you think you can just live without repaying the damages you caused to our store, huh? How about it, Kurumi?!"

"—!!"

Kurumi shuddered, her shoulders twitching, as the two men berated her up close.

Come on, what exactly happened? Words like store and damage were catching my attention.

"Because of you, we've suffered huge losses. You owe us ¥10,000,000. We'll settle for that."

"What…?! I don't have that kind of money…"

"Don't worry. A girl like you could easily earn ten mill in no time. How about working at the bathhouse we run…?"

"… …!"

They must be talking about a brothel! Japan has many special bathhouses… Wait, no, this conversation is too unsettling!

Amidst the growing commotion in the store, Kyui flew onto my head.

[Ishidate runs cabaret clubs, adult entertainment bars, and soapland brothels in the city. The man next to him is Kida. He works at Ishidate's place and is, well, an extortionist.]

"Wait… how do you know all this?"

[I've been gathering information by flying around, remember? I was curious about this Kurumi you mentioned and have been probing for information about her surroundings.]

"What!? You gathered all that just from flying around?"

I do recall Kyui mentioning earlier that if it was at full strength, it'd be able to figure out the general area's information just by flying around a bit… but isn't that stalking!?

[Kurumi used to work at Ishidate's shop.]

"Really?"

No way! … Well, Kyui did say Kurumi was a virgin. She probably worked at a cabaret club then.

"From what I gathered, it seems she had some sort of dispute while she was working there."

She then left and was hired by Morimura-san to work at Suio, but they'd tracked her down here.

[Touya, this is an opportunity.]

"… Huh?"

[If you save Kurumi here, she'll fall for you. Then you'll be able to have as much sex as you want without having to pay her.]

… …! Having as much sex as I want with Kurumi…!

But it can't be that simple! Besides, no one would willingly approach these intimidating guys!

"Kurumi, you need to take responsibility for what you've done."

"Yeah, or do we need to talk directly to the manager here?"

Kurumi kept her head down, not looking up. She was probably trying to buy time, waiting for Morimura-san to return… but.

(Sigh… I don't have a problem with these guys, but I don't want to cause trouble for Morimura-san either. Also…)

Kurumi's low mood today might have had something to do with these two. I had to remove the cause or I might never see that cheeky smile of hers again.

Not that I particularly wanted to see that, but well, I didn't mind helping her out a bit.

"Hey."

"If you don't respond, our employees might visit this bar every day, you know?"

"I said hey."

"The manager who unknowingly hired you would be pitiable. Well, it's all your fault anyway…"

"Listen to me!"

"What, you little punk!?"

…. He's terrifying…! Calm down, me! I'm the man who ruthlessly had his way with the strongest knight, Erinabel, and then left her behind…!

Besides, I don't have a job to be fired from! That means I have nothing to lose. I feel invincible right now… or at least I think I am…!

"We're closing shop. If you're not customers, you need to leave."

I say, pointing to the exit with my thumb.

Heh… I've always wanted to say that line. I'm glad I practiced it secretly…!

"Hey, Kida."

Kida moved right in front of me. He then tries to land a powerful blow with all his might.

"Senpai!?"

"Hahaha! Hey, Kurumi, who is this guy!? Trying to play the knight in shining armor!? That's hilarious!"

Ishidate laughed out loud. From his point of view, it probably looked like Kida punched me in the face.

But in reality, I had caught Kida's punch with my right hand. Wait.

(Uh, what!? It's not that strong…?)

At first glance, Kida looked well-built and was probably more muscular than me.

But his punch was slower than I expected, allowing me to easily guard against it. Even more surprising…

(If this is the power behind his punch, it wouldn't have hurt even if I took it directly, right…?)

Right. There was no pain or impact felt from the punch that I caught with my right hand. I remained completely unfazed, not losing my balance at all.

Did he hold back? Kida's eyes had widened in surprise, though.

"You… bastard…"

"What's the matter, Kida? … Huh!?"

It seems Ishidate noticed too. He saw that I had caught Kida's punch.

"Hey, Kida. Did you go easy on him? Get it done quickly."

"I… can't move…"

"What?"

"I've been trying to pull my arm back since earlier…! But I can't move it at all…!"

Only then did I realize. Kida had indeed been trying to retract his arm. But since I had been holding onto his fist all this time, he couldn't pull it back.

… … Huh? Isn't that strange?

(What's going on!? Why can't he escape from the grip of someone like me…!?)

I couldn't make sense of it. Testing it out, I released the fist I had been gripping with my right hand.

"Whoa!?"

Kida stumbled backward dramatically. He seemed to have been pulling with significant force.

(Huh? My grip isn't that strong, though! Wait, is this…?! Could it be…?!)

[Hmm… It's good you started unsealing some of my power, albeit just a bit. Right now, you possess a fraction of the strength of a hero.]

I knew it…! It's the effect of my contract with Kyui…!

The story went that the more Kyui's seal is undone, the more my physical abilities would improve…! But I didn't expect it to show effects so soon! And much more than I anticipated!

[The seal isn't fully undone yet… However, responding to your sexual desires, your physical capabilities should have increased somewhat.]

Wait, what?! So the more pent-up my desires are, the stronger I get!?

Wouldn't I be super weak in sage mode then?!

[Seems like you're the type whose desires accumulate more after staying up all night. Now, they were the first to use violence. Touya, deliver justice…! And then, when Kurumi thanks you, have sex with her…! I'll be satisfied, and you'll gain more Hero Points!]

What a troublesome bird…! It seriously thinks a victim can do whatever they want in response…!

Geez. I've hardly ever been in a fight before…!

"You brat!"

Kida pulled back his right arm, attempting to punch me again. But just like before, I caught it with my left hand.

"Take this!"

This time, he swung with his left arm. My dynamic vision seemed to have improved too…! I can clearly see his movements…!

Staying calm, I caught it with my right hand and—

"Aaaaaaargh!"

—started squeezing both of Kida's fists.

I'm not even trying that hard…! He's in so much pain…! Okay, I'm starting to get scared too though!?

"Gaahhhhhh…!!"

Kida finally dropped to his knees. While firmly applying pressure with my grip, I spoke in a calm tone.

"It's pretty cruel of you to suddenly attack, isn't it? Ahh… If you don't apologize, I might squeeze even harder, you know?"

Saying that, I gradually started applying more pressure. Kida's response was swift.

"I… I'm sorry…! Please… let go…!"

Kida's extraordinary pain had genuinely surprised Ishidate.

"Is that all? I don't feel any sincerity from you. Do you really regret it?"

"I do, I really do…!"

Kida broke quickly.

Now… think. How do I get rid of these two without harming Kurumi…?

"But you did attack me out of the blue. I can't really trust you… right, Ishidate-san?"

I turned my gaze to Ishidate. Perhaps not wanting to be taken lightly, he glared at me with all his might.

"What… do you want…?"

"Promise me you won't bother this shop or Kurumi anymore. Then I'll let Kida-san go."

"Huh!? What are you…"

"Aaaargh!"

I squeezed Kida's fists even harder. Blood started flowing from his fists as if I was wringing juice out of a fruit.

An eerie sensation ran through my hands, accompanied by a series of creepy sounds. This is scary in a whole new way!

"Ah, because of Ishidate-san, Kida-san might never be able to use his arms again. Oh, how sad. Just because he was employed by someone like you, he might lose both arms here…"

"Ish… Ishidate… san…!"

Kida managed to utter, dripping with sweat.

"… Kid, what's your name?"

"Just promise already, idiot! Hurry up! And Kurumi! Record this!"

Confused, Kurumi took out her phone and began recording. I motioned for Ishidate to continue.

"… I swear I won't bother this shop or Kurumi ever again."

"And apologize. You set Kida-san on me, didn't you?"

"… I'm sorry."

"That didn't sound sincere at all, now did it?"

With nothing to lose, I was going all out!

Perhaps sensing my confidence, Ishidate pulled out his wallet and discreetly placed a bundle of banknotes on the floor.

"It's compensation for the trouble. Is this acceptable?"

"Uh… actually, yeah…"

I wasn't really expecting that…! Well, I'm happy, but it's hard to handle!

I slowly released Kida's arms. The floor was stained with the blood and sweat I'd wrung from him.

"Ahh… ah…"

Kida slowly tried to spread his fingers. However, it seemed as though his fingertips had deeply dug into his flesh and he couldn't move them as he wished. To be honest…

"Yikes! H-His fingers…! They're definitely broken…!"

I'm worried about being billed for medical expenses later…!

"Just so you know! This happened because you attacked first! And I never used violence! I just caught your fist, that's all!"

I desperately shouted my excuse, aware that it's quite a ridiculous argument.

However, after checking Kida's hand, Ishidate clearly looked at me with fear.

"… I understand. We've disturbed you enough. Kida, let's go."

"Uhh… ah…"

Groaning, Kida left the bar with Ishidate.

… Phew. Thankfully, I managed to drive them away…!

"… Senpai."

Kurumi called out to me.

That's right, what actually happened? I did so much in getting myself involved so it wouldn't hurt to hear the story.

[Great! Now, just soothe Kurumi a bit and take her to bed!]

It's not that simple!

Ignoring Kyui's shout, I turned to Kurumi.

"Thank… thank you so much…"

"Yeah, it's no problem. For now, how about we start cleaning up before Morimura-san comes back?"

"Nnn…"

I began wiping away the sweat and blood on the floor.

"Hey Kurumi, what exactly happened?"

As I wiped the counter, I spoke to Kurumi.

Given what had just transpired, Kurumi slowly began to speak.

"Well, before coming here, I worked at a cabaret club…"

"Kurumi at a cabaret club, huh…"

"… What? You have a problem?"

"Nope, not at all."

It didn't suit her at all! I mean, maybe if it were a more refined looking older woman, but not her.

Kurumi looked younger than her actual age. Well, perhaps her makeup made her look more mature, or maybe her youthful face was actually an advantage there?

"My friend from high school told me that I could make easy money… and since I was living alone and had rent to pay, I was looking for a job that worked late into the night."

"I see…"

Kurumi told me a rough overview of what happened.

It seems she was able to earn a decent amount when she first started working at the cabaret club. She was quite favored just for being a young newcomer from the countryside to the city.

And then customers who requested Kurumi specifically started to come in.

"There was this son of a company president who began to frequent the club… One day, he moved me to the VIP room."

"VIP room…"

I didn't know cabaret clubs had such a thing… I haven't really been to many, so I had no idea…

"That time, he was acting a bit different than usual… He suddenly started touching me."

"…"

"And when I tried to get up from my seat saying that it wasn't that kind of establishment, he got incredibly angry…"

"Seriously…"

According to Kurumi, the customer shouted things like, "You wanted it too, right?", "Do you know how much I've paid for you?", and "Are you trying to embarrass me?". It seemed he was always bringing company employees with him and consistently spent a lot of money, which made him a valuable customer the club didn’t want to lose.

"He even said he had journalist connections and threatened to ruin the reputation of the club… so Ishidate apologized and somehow placated him."

"That's messed up…"

And so, to escape from Ishidate and that customer, Kurumi quit the cabaret club. After that, she began working part-time at the bar Suio.

"But Ishidate prioritized that customer over protecting his employee, you. Demanding ¥10,000,000 after all that is beyond ridiculous."

"Yeah, it really teaches you to be careful about where you choose to work…"

Absolutely. Well, I don't plan on getting a job for a while anyway!

But Kurumi, even though she's still a student, she's been paying her own rent. And working this late… She's way more responsible than me…

"I'm back~"

"Ah, welcome back."

Morimura-san entered from the entrance, holding a convenience store bag in his hand.

"Thanks for watching the place. Both of you can leave for today. And here, it's a nutritional jelly that charges you up in ten seconds."

"Thanks."

After receiving the nutritional jelly from Morimura-san, we both went to the changing room. After quickly changing, I downed the nutritional jelly and returned to the counter.

"Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Well…"

I glanced briefly at Kurumi, who had come out of the changing room. But she showed no sign of speaking.

Well, getting into details would lead to a story about Kurumi's past. It's regrettable, but I decided to keep silent about it to Morimura-san.

"Not really."

"I see. Well, be careful on your way home! Here's your pay."

"Thanks!"

Alright…! Another day of work done…! Kyui flew onto my head. Now I'm ready to go home.

"But that bird is really smart… It was popular with the customers too. You can bring it again."

"Hahaha… If it's up for it, I'll bring it. Thanks for today."

After saying our goodbyes, Kurumi and I left the bar. As we exited the building housing Suio, Kurumi spoke up.

"Senpai."

"Hm?"

"I… I used to think of you as an unmotivated, spineless, good-for-nothing guy…"

"Isn't that an incredibly low opinion!?"

Is it normal to be looked down upon by someone so much younger!?

However, Kurumi, unlike usual, didn't meet my gaze.

"But… The way you acted earlier, it was cool. I never thought you'd be that strong…"

Oh…? This seems promising…!?

"You don't look strong at all and you give off this vibe of not being sharp-minded."

"Why add that extra comment!?"

"… Hehehe."

Seriously… I didn't expect my physical abilities to improve that much either. When I first approached those two, I was pretty nervous…

"It's the first time a man has protected me like that… Um, Senpai. If Ishida comes again… will you protect me? For free?"

"For free?"

Well, I didn't help Kurumi expecting something in return. But… to be honest, as Kyui suggested, there was a hidden desire hoping that maybe, just maybe, it could lead to a more intimate relationship. But of course, it's not that simple! I know that!

"Really now… I don't think Ishida will come back, but if he does…"

In that moment, something soft touched my right cheek. When I turned my attention to the right, there stood Kurumi, her face flushed.

"… Consider that a pre-payment for my reward."

…! That was… a kiss…! No doubt, Kurumi's lips just touched my right cheek…

"I should mention that I'm not interested in freelancers. Make sure you find a proper job, okay?"

"Oh… alright…"

Does that mean… if I get a job, she'd date me…?

After that, we exchanged contact details and parted ways.

Could it be…? Is this the start of my belated youth?

[Why didn't you get intimate with Kurumi?]

"Like that's possible! There's a process for these things!"

[You skipped the process with Erinabel. Seriously. If you used Kyui-Woos on Kurumi, you could've done it right there…]

"You really are a problematic bird."

That being said, I did briefly consider using the Kyui-Woos, Forced Arousal. But the situation with Erinabel was different! I couldn't use it on Kurumi here! And while I might be okay using such a skill on a stranger, there's still some resistance to using it on someone I know in Japan. It's easier to justify in another world…

"Well, once that Erotic Skill is activated, there's a cooldown. If I just used it like last time and wound up not being able to access it later, that could be troublesome. I need to think carefully about when to use it."

[Says the person who wishes to use his Erotic Skills whenever he's in the mood…]

"I can't deny that…!"

But there's another reason to be selective about using Kyui's Erotic Skills. It's because of my physical abilities. According to Kyui, my physical abilities correlate with the degree of Kyui's seal and my sexual desire. And most of the situations where I use that Erotic Skill would end with me finishing.

(In other words, after climaxing, my physical abilities decrease…)

So I couldn't just use Erotic Skills repeatedly, even ignoring the drop in my physical abilities. Considering that the other world is full of knights and magical beasts enhancing their physical abilities with magic, I want to at least maintain a situation where I can defend myself.

(But thinking about it, I wasn't cautious at all about that world in the beginning…)

I bought some random food at the convenience store and headed home, offering Kyui some salami.

"How is it, Kyui? Any Erotic Skills that seem unlockable?"

[Hmm… If you spend all the money you've accumulated, there's one Erotic Skill that you could unlock.]

"Really!?"

Wow! Another of Kyui's erotic cheats is about to be added! Even if it costs all my money!

[It's called Kyui-Equips. Originally, it's a skill to manifest legendary weapons like holy swords, holy spears, or mystical armor from myths. But now it manifests erotic items like restraints or vibrators.]

"So I can manifest erotic items at will…! That's amazing! Certainly more frequently useful than a holy sword…!"

[Heh… So you see the greatness of this Erotic Skill as well. As expected of Touya, my contractor.]

Its synergy with Forced Arousal seemed promising! It definitely adds variety to my fantasy sex life!

"Alright, let's unlock it right away…"

[Can't. You have enough money, but you lack Hero Points.]

"What…"

That's right… Hero Points were used by Kyui to break his seal. It's hard to keep track of because it's not visible like money.

[If you use Kyui-Woos on attractive women, bring them to your room, and climax multiple times, you should accumulate some Hero Points…]

"I keep telling you how sketchy that is!"

But that is one way to go about it… The problem is how competitive I can be after climaxing, especially against guys like Kida.

By the way, the amount of Hero Points I earn varied depending on the woman, how good the act was, the situation, etc.

I have no idea what the evaluation criteria are though!