Chapter 137: Things That Fill the World

Sora applied "Coagulated Milk" to his eyes and looked at Jenny again.

However, no matter how many times I look, the result is the same.

Unlike Alter and Lily, Jenny is half-awakened, awakening to bitterness and other death-related sensations.

The slightly opened aura is about the average level of a normal person.

It is just that her eyes have a strange aura, always in a faint state of "Ken," but this is likely innate. It is just that what is called "spirit" cannot be said to be rare at this level.

This is why it is so unusual now.

If you cannot see anything, if you cannot hear anything, you still have an explanation.

It ends with a story that simply combines insensitivity and positivity to minimize the impact.

However, Jenny saw what crawled out of her shadow, what parasitized her, what cursed her, and perhaps even heard the curse.

Even so, she remained calm, gentle, and tender, still smiling unwaveringly.

Jenny is smiling, as if believing that even "Malice" itself, which is clearly irrational, speaking out irrational jealousy and the curse of jealousy, can also be saved.

"Mr. Sora, I don't know what to ask you now, but what exactly is 'this'?"

Her father was her childhood friend, and he asked shyly, as if he were troubled.

After all, when Sora answered her question, he narrowed his eyes, as if looking at something dazzling.

"...'That' itself is 'Malice'."

The feeling of putting oneself aside to be jealous of others, excuses for not working hard, imposing reasons for one's own unhappiness, belittling the value of others, the ugliness of trying to increase one's own value, just thinking of others' misfortune as entertainment, bad intentions...

However, it does not belong to any specific individual, and it would not have been magnified and expanded to this extent originally.

As he explained, Sora wondered if he should call the current situation good luck or bad.

When it comes to the trigger, this is definitely bad luck.

Judging from the curse crawling out of Jenny's shadow and the roaring personality, as well as the personality I have learned about over the past few hours, it is hard to imagine she has any fault and is being possessed.

Jenny was extremely unlucky and unfortunate when she was undoubtedly cursed by unreasonable resentment.

Besides that, the worst thing is probably that this ability originates from the Specialization System, possessing the characteristic of "absorbing and magnifying the surrounding malice."

I cannot help but think so.

Parasitizing Jenny's shadow, winding around her body, clinging to her, concentrating on spitting out spells, "that" is like Jack, gathering the aura of countless people, yet it has hardly moved in the direction of "Malice." It is one, because it is certain.

The chaos of Killua aiming for Heaven's Arena became an existence approaching the spirit of the dead.

... So the tragedy should have come long ago, collapse, a desperate end.

It is filled with despair and the worst feelings, but it should have ended already.

"Really, really, how are you still okay, Miss Jenny? Or rather, if you don't think you might get hurt, your sisters might get hurt, would you be willing to go on like this forever?"

Jenny smiled awkwardly at Sora's annoyed lines.

That troubled bitter smile was enough, and furthermore, she articulately affirmed Sora's words, but Jenny dutifully answered Sora's question with a bitter smile.

"As expected, I am fine... no."

Hearing this answer, Sora's smile became stiff.

Countless mouths of dead-tree-like hands crawling out from the shadows were cursing Jenny.

Or perhaps it is better to use abusive words like dead, ugly, etc.

She is a beauty, she is carried away, she looks down on us in her smile, she is a cold-blooded woman who does not care even if her parents die. It is full of things I am afraid of losing, but if I keep hearing meaningless sounds playing in my ears, I would go crazy in a few days, but I have been hearing sticky malice toward myself for three consecutive months, and this is my reaction. As the expected Sora, I had to pull Tang.

I am backing away, but in fact, this reaction was within Sora's expectations. So, like Alter, Sora did not immediately kill them when encountering such parasites in the shadows, but did not ask any questions.

The reason Jenny appeared, eyes wide, was not only because she was surprised that Leorio and her two sisters were too similar, but also because she noticed what was crawling out of this shadow, how dangerous it was, and it was precisely because he had realized this that Jenny was stunned, unable to believe it, but it was true.

And because he looked calm, I thought it was bad to kill him in front of Alter and Lily to aggravate their anxiety and fear. Jenny herself told her sisters and Astolfo that something like this was possessing her. I know I kept silent because I didn't want to be known and worried, so Sora also kept silently putting it off until now, and I am pulling back again.

However, Jenny did not notice Sora's attraction to her, and even if she did, she didn't know why; she placed her right hand on her cheek and tilted her head.

"... Miss Jenny's heart is really not made of iron, it is made of Orichalcum."

Well, in this case, this is the only thing that can be said to be Jenny's fault. Because Miss Jenny is unusually patient, it should only affect Miss Jenny, because what is affected is the ending this time.

But at the same time, it is also thanks to Miss Jenny's Orichalcum Commentary that I was able to complete "this level."

"It" is possessed by you, hoping that you harbor "Malice" just like itself, to be swallowed by "Malice," to be defiled by "Malice," so it will not disappear unless you are "defiled" by "Malice."

... But no matter how you are cursed, you have not been stained. No matter how much "Malice" and "Curse" you have endured, I am here now because you have the absolute rule of 'not letting sisters interfere,' because you have no more retreat."

Seeing that Jenny did not know her own heresy and heterodoxy, Sora shuddered again and continued.

Speaking of the purpose of the "Malice" that Jenny possesses, the twitching smile breathed a sigh of relief in a tragedy that never happened.

Anyone other than Jenny would have lost their mind long ago. Even Sora had no confidence to hold on for 10 days.

This is nothing more than crawling up from under one's feet, entangling, entangling, and constantly spitting out malicious words at the opponent, even if it is misguided resentment.

Even though he poured malice into this one-way street, he did not cause any direct harm, so apart from Sora's Immediate Death, it is highly likely he could not cope.

So, if it were normal, the spirit would be destroyed immediately.

And when the spirit collapses, and the broken heart is stained by the malice sprayed from its mouth, the destination of that "Malice" is neither the possessed person nor the possessed criminal, but by chance. It is your side.

It is highly likely that he attacked Jenny's family and friends with that completely selfish, irrational, and self-righteous malice.

This is the purpose of the curse.

Rather than hurting the possessed object by hand or making the possessed object unhappy, it is better to violate the kindness of the possessed, defile it, destroy it, and use that person's hand to treat those who are important to them in the same way. That is a kind of "Malice" that wants to break and destroy everything.

Once completed, it will naturally disappear.

However, no matter how much Jenny's malice grows, she remains silent.

She never asks for anyone's opinion, never pretends to be arrogant, always smiles gently, ignores the "Malice" shouting in her ears, understands it, but is unyielding.

She does not take the word "Malice" seriously, does not become servile, nor does she get angry or stressed, because it is a misleading slander. There must be a situation, a misunderstanding, and a misapprehension."

This is why the current situation is "this level."

Not to mention that Jenny herself is tainted by Malice, the overly amplified Malice is not only Jenny's, but it also makes one suspect it has had a "slightly better" effect in her home, and it has also affected half of Lily's pores; but that is because Jenny reacted, rather than ignoring it.

It is precisely because Jenny reacted to her "Malice" that she did not leave, because she believed the "Malice" would cause her to fall.

If I ignored her, if she had no reaction at all, I would think her "Malice" was "uninteresting" to Jenny and would leave her, but I would turn to another person, someone close to Jenny. The possibility of possessing it is very high.

"So there is nothing wrong with what Jenny did. I can assure you, everything is for the best."

So... do not think it is your fault for not consulting your sister or Astolfo. If you consult and incite others' anxiety, "it" is more likely than you to recognize that person as prey.

"Everything you did was right."

Walking to Jenny's side, Sora smiled and announced, and Jenny laughed happily and said: "Thank you very much."

That smile was so pure, you couldn't even imagine what was crawling out of her Shadow, or the Curse screaming in her ear. Conclude.

In other words, she is a higher-level version of Gon; although she possesses the minds of multiple deceased people within Heaven's Arena, she uses her own body as a cage so that the minds do not collapse. He is the natural enemy of this kind of Curse.

As evidence, even though she is exposed to this Aura filled with Malice, she has barely opened.

In extreme terms, the principle of opening one's Aura is a self-defense reaction. The fastest way to open pores is to directly strike with Aura; pressure is also an effective means of opening pores.

However, according to Sora, Jenny's mental aspect is made of Orichalcum. So, with this Curse that does not increase physical damage, it is impossible for Jenny to be half-awake like her sisters.

That habit—Jenny never ignores the Curse of Malice she carries, and faces it with a serious, slanted attitude, so this Curse might not just be her own will, but Jenny grasps it and cannot let go. Sora even suspects if that is the case.

I thought so, but of course, I do not sympathize.

"Alright then, let's clean this up this time."

As Sora said this, he took the Disposable Mud he brought back from the coffee shop out of his coat pocket and spun it like a pen.

However, before he accidentally stuffed it into Jenny's Shadow, Jenny's eyebrows apologetically turned square, and she gently placed her hand on Sora's hand, saying:

"Wait a moment... is this something I must kill no matter what?"

Sora had no particular reaction to Jenny's words.

He did not roll his eyes, as if to say: "What is this person talking about?"

However, he stared at Jenny with his blue-sky eyes, saying nothing.

I was just waiting for Jenny's words to continue.

"... I'm sorry. I know I said something rude.

But... Sora-san has said many times, 'I am not an exorcist, I am not an exorcist, I am a killer.' If you think so, I am..."

"Don't know that you don't like my hands getting dirty?"

Jenny also looked straight into Sora's eyes, those eyes connected to the Abyss, and spoke.

Although she admitted her words were selfish, she stopped Sora because she remembered Sora's repeated advice.

Then, when Sora smiled... and asked a question with a dazzling smile rather than sarcastically, she looked him in the eye and answered.

"Of course, this comes first.

At the very least, if it wasn't intentionally added with 'this,' letting things like Alter and Lily happen without one's own knowledge... if that were the case... that person is definitely not a bad person. Even if he is a sinner, if he is not a villain... I cannot ignore the fact that this person himself will undoubtedly be killed.

I am fine. It's not that I don't care what they say, but I'm not angry at all... so, so please... it's impossible not to affect my sister and others. Mosquito?"

Sure enough, hearing this answer, Sora widened his eyes.

From the apologetic look on his face, he understood the selfishness of what he said, rather than the beautiful scenery of the garden in his mind.

However, I did not give up on something more direct than that Sora.

She had a calm Aura like sunshine, but her eyes were clear, and her temperament was Fire.

"... Really, Gon's superior is stronger than Ging."

"?"

Sora instinctively mentioned the selfish, out-of-control motorcycle boy and his father, who were natural enemies of Malice just like her, innocent and pure, which left Jenny somewhat puzzled.

However, Sora did not seem to care about Jenny's confusion and answered with a smile.

He denied that Jenny's wish would not come true.

"I don't think Jenny is selfish. You are right.

But I cannot. If 'this' were in the early stages it would be fine, but only I can handle something this powerful, and I have no other way but to 'kill' it.

If you isolate yourself from others, it won't affect those around you, but no matter how temporarily you isolate, even if you aren't good at it, you are very likely to be isolated for a lifetime. Do you think Astolfo can stay quiet? If you disappear because of this, the three of you will never be happy in this life."

Hearing Sora's answer, Jenny bit her lip and fell silent, using all her strength to clasp her hands together.

Sora showed no signs of resentment and responded with a fair argument. However, he seemed ashamed of his own shallowness and arrogance, knowing it but still wanting to do it.

But even so, the Fire in his eyes did not Extinguish.

Even if she felt ashamed of her desire to rely on Sora, she had no intention of letting Sora bear the crime of murder.

I don't think "death" is the punishment for someone who curses me, knows nothing, and has lost the chance for atonement.

She will not forgive others for being victims. This is why I did not give up.

I believe that by acknowledging one's own mistakes and sins and making up for them, redemption can be achieved, and I will never give up.

Sora is the same.

"First of all, killing 'that' will not lead to the death of the person who caused 'that.'

Did I tell you? This is 'Malice' itself."

"... Hmm?"

This time, Jenny opened her eyes wide.

Sora spoke with those round eyes, smiling like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Telling her the true identity.

"I'm sure someone possesses 'that' toward you, someone who harbors Malice toward you, but as Mr. Jenny said, it is very likely caused by someone in the same situation as Alter-chan and Lily-chan.

It is the ugly part of the heart that has been severed from the person in question. It might be a collection of real and true, but perhaps not real, fragments."

Miss Jenny, there is nothing wrong with wanting to save the owner of that ability, but do not think about saving "it" itself. "It" is "Malice" itself. There is no room for salvation there, nor is there any conscience of those in power.

Parasitizing Jenny's Shadow, it crawls up to continue chanting; many people unite through "Malice," yet it is not a Dead Spirit.

Alter and Lily were lured by this excessively amplified "Malice," and they half-woke just as their aura was about to open, so being half-awake was a last resort, but perhaps this "Malice itself" that possesses Jenny is the most important thing. "200," the accidental product of "a person with a half-awakened ability is about one person."

There is no basis. However, considering the ability to "absorb surrounding Malice," it should be closer to a characteristic, but because it is completely separated from the ability user and continues to activate independently like an Emission System ability, its target is property. I just think it's not bad.

If it is deliberate obsession, separating the ability completely from the person who has it—whether it is related to bloodline or this kind of "Malice"—has no value at all.

No matter how thin, it will connect a rope-like path, provide Qi itself, and even explore the state of the possessed Jenny to a certain extent.

At the moment of being cut off, there is a contradiction; although he wants to keep Jenny from being unhappy, he is not interested in the process and the outcome.

However, if one considers that the culprit is in the same state as Alter and Lily, this contradiction can be easily explained.

This is not intentional. He probably did not mean it.

However, I was tormented by pressure to the point of being half-conscious and my aura loosening, and because there was no space in my heart, I became servile and aggressive, I lost my mind, and there was a temporary surge of emotion. I feel sorry for Jenny. I wish you luck.

Perhaps the other party does not have any Malice toward Jenny herself.

Jenny happened to pass by a person who had been desperately thinking, "Everyone should suffer!" It might have just gotten stuck.

"... Depending on how you think about it, the perpetual-motion-machine-like characteristic of 'absorbing surrounding Malice' might be unfortunate for that person.

There is nothing wrong with Miss Jenny's actions, but if it weren't for the amplification of the characteristic, wouldn't the influence of 'this' be less terrifying? Perhaps, at most, I would have had an argument with family and friends and managed to Escape."

As Sora spoke, he thought that even if he really had the ability to amplify, if he were affected by this kind of "Malice" from the beginning, the damage would only be that much and it would disappear. Sure enough, I didn't say it because it could deny Jenny up to now.

The guess may not be far off.

Assuming that if it weren't for Jenny, she would have fallen into the worst situation long ago; this is just assuming that the "Malice" on Jenny has expanded to its current level.

And if it were three months ago, when suspicious things started happening in Jenny's house, it not only affected the possessed Jenny but also those around her; the characteristic of absorbing and amplifying the Malice of others was not very effective.

If it had become something that affected the surrounding environment three months ago, if it were more effective, it would have left Jenny feeling dazed regarding the minds of Alter and Lily, so there is no doubt that the efficiency of this ability was not good.

That is to say, even Sora could not endure ten days of "Malice"; it is a product of Jenny's strange patience, and to be honest, it cannot be said to be the fault of the person who possesses it.

But thinking about it carefully, it is a mystery when Jenny was possessed by such a thing. If a problem arises, it is very likely that the source of pressure that caused the possession disappeared a long time ago, the aura would close, and this person would unknowingly return to being a normal person.

Therefore, for Jenny and the "Malice" that possesses her, this is a story of bad luck.

It uses the ability to absorb Malice to make up for its own weak Emission System, but because it is not an ability obtained deliberately through Training, even if it goes out of control and spreads this Malice to the surroundings, the effect is very fast. The stage was not that bad.

Even if he had an argument with the people around him because of his own influence, he and the people around him would only think, 'I don't have a good place to raise bugs...'

Well, in the end, this is Sora's speculation, not very well-founded.

So, Sora did not think that it would be better if Jenny had been contaminated with this kind of Malice earlier, because then it would not have been so troublesome.

However, Jenny did not want to do that either; as a result, she not only caused trouble for her sisters but also for her friends, and for Sora, who originally had no blood relation to her. He was there, but the expression on his face was very unbearable.

Completely different from the violent Fire just now, Sora once again erupted with a kind of normal female panic.

Speaking while laughing.

"So you don't have to worry, Jenny.

"It" itself is Malice, so you don't have to think about redemption or saving. Do not worry about the person who possesses you, "it."

Admittedly, it is unfortunate that both you and your opponent have the characteristic of "absorbing and amplifying Malice," but if you punish those who cast this "Curse" one by one and send them to hell, hell will be... no matter how many there are, it won't be enough.

Because this world is full of 'Curses'."

Sora smiled too brightly and announced.

This is not a joke or a metaphor, but a fact.

Only about 1 in every 200 people possesses a temporary power that half-wakes due to stress. This ratio is about one in every grade at school.

It won't be too many, but it won't be too few either.

In Sora's world, fantasy species that travel to the other side of the world are rarer than ordinary animals in this world, or if they are not treated well, they will wander around, so it might be more like this than in Sora's world. Included in the world's atmosphere, Mana, I think there is a lot.

I am sure this has to do with many people having different abilities, albeit strange and temporary ones.

If it is not as prominent as Alter's or Lily's, if it is just backward compatible with Jenny's "Curse," if it is due to its transient nature, it will go out of control without anyone or even a professional Hunter noticing. It was ignored; after all, it is not uncommon for people to return to being ordinary people without paying attention to themselves or the people around them.

Everyone has encountered at least one mysterious event in their life that cannot be explained by science.

Of course, most of them are misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or old memories, so the forgotten parts are supplemented and tampered with, and one just doesn't know the principle.

However, some of them may be because the person themselves or the people around them have a temporary, momentary ability.

This is an undeniable ratio.

And based on the principle of opening the aura, their bias toward "Malice" is also helpless.

Most of it is a counterattack that occurs because they were hurt and the threshold for self-defense became abnormally low; it is a tantrum of shouting "Why?" at the unreasonable.

No matter the situation, it is still the Malice of being "hurt."

So this world is full of Curses.

Even if it is not your intention, this world is still full of Malice that hopes someone is unfortunate.

And making it happen, "Nen Ability" and.

It is not uncommon.

The world is full of Malice that hopes someone is unfortunate, and the Curses that make it happen.

Jenny opened her eyes wide again to look at Sora, who spoke such a cruel truth with a smile that did not match the content.

Then, she gradually narrowed her round eyes and said.

"--Is that so"

Even Jenny, who is the word "Saint" without any metaphor or irony, recognized Sora's words.

She knew.

About the "Curses" filling the world.

Ever since I lost my parents, and even before I lost them, I have had bad feelings about other people's "Malice" many times.

Of course it is my fault, but even now, I am exposed to unreasonable and absurd Malice, just like I am still climbing up and grabbing the shouting Curse.

Understood.

Jenny knew that neither the world nor people were as beautiful and pure as she dreamed.

So, just like Sora, she smiled brilliantly and said.

"Yes, that's right, this world is full of Malice and Curse.

That is the reason why we can continue to live."

"That's right. Or rather, if the scales tipped toward Malice, this world would have been destroyed long ago."

In Jenny's words, Sora expressed agreement with a gentle smile and burning eyes... those eyes burning with obedience.

Lighting up the same light in the eyes of the blue sky.

"This world is evil and full of Curse.

But the world is also full of kindness and blessings. However, due to the principle of opening the aura, 'Curse' is conspicuous and prominent in visible forms.

... But no matter how I feel, the fact that the world continues to operate and live like this means the balance is maintained.

... Even if you can't see it, even if you don't save those who are ill-intentioned, or those who are attacked by Malice, this world is still full of kindness and blessings.

Unfair, unreasonable, cruel... but it still exists... if you are awake, you will never lose the chance to obtain it—that is why it is stupid to be the only person you need to worry about."

This world is not as beautiful or pure as you imagine.

However, it is by no means dirty and ugly.

Even if my dignity as a woman is tarnished, even if my self-esteem as a human is trampled, even if I am burned by hellish Fire, I have survived, and I know that the shining things I see, the beautiful things, are real.

I know someone reached out to me when I was hurt by Malice.

I know the joy of reaching out and holding the hand of someone who has been hurt by Malice.

Because Jenny knew that no matter how bad her life was, as long as she was awake, she would be happy.

That is why I understood the true meaning of Sora's words and laughed.

"That is correct."

Jenny understood how stupid it was to have a narrow perspective due to the desire to save, to be isolated by the "Malice" itself from the people you want to save, to try to save things that have no room for salvation, and to ignore the people who are important to you and give you blessings; she expressed agreement with Sora's words and smiled bitterly at her own stupidity.

Then, after looking straight at Sora, she politely lowered her head and asked.

"I am sorry I was selfish. Please.

Please push 'this' to a place where it can never return."

She probably didn't want to use the word "kill" because she was excellent, but Jenny pleaded with words that seemed to understand the essence in Sora's eyes.

"... Hey, Miss Jenny. Do you like your sister?"

"? Of course."

"Why?"

Responding to Sora's question, Jenny raised her head and tilted it, but almost reflexively affirmed it, and Sora immediately asked back.

It was an abrupt and rather rude question, but even with Jenny's good temper, she was not angry.

Because the face of Sora who asked was strangely young.

Sora asked with eyes even younger than Lily's, eyes of genuine curiosity and longing for an answer.

However, Jenny did not know what answer Sora wanted.

Before she could think, she noticed Sora's youthful face, and while she was puzzled, she responded immediately, just like the first question.

"? That is because they are my sisters, and I am the older sister."

Thinking about it was useless. Jenny's answer was that she could maintain a calm smile about why she liked her sisters, why she liked them, and why she scolded them a few times in their ears so they wouldn't worry. My God, that was it.

If they weren't sisters, would you love them? This hypothesis was too stupid.

Of course, such an "if" was unimaginable, and the existence of Jenny's sisters, Alter and Lily, was also part of Jenny's existence.

To her, Sora's question was almost the same as "Why do you breathe?"

To put it to the Extreme, the answer was the same as the question "Why do you breathe?"

"... Yeah, that's right. That's right, this is normal. Siblings are like this, unless there is a lot of discord in their relationship."

Although Jenny was a bit confused, Sora crossed his arms and expressed agreement, leaving Jenny even more bewildered because she didn't understand the meaning.

For Jenny, there was no other answer than this, so she was happy that he was convinced, but if he was so convinced, why did he ask? At the same time, Sora's current expression was also quite mysterious.

For some reason, although Sora was convinced, he still showed a bitter expression.

"So that's how it is... that idiot is not normal. I mean, is there any hatred between us sisters?

No, you didn't look at me, and you didn't have enough hatred for me..."

"... Ah, excuse me, Sora?"

Sora muttered something with the face of someone encountering someone they weren't good with; although she couldn't hear his muttering, she felt like she was about to fall into a vortex of negativity, so Jenny hesitated and called out to Sora.

"Oh, sorry, I was a bit bothered by a ghost."

"A... ghost?"

She was glad he returned at Jenny's call, but he said something unsettling about the reason for this strange trip, which made Jenny even more uneasy.

Seeing such a depressed Jenny, Sora trapped the ghost in his heart deep inside.

They looked different.

The only thing they had in common was that their appearances were extremely refined, and their appearances themselves were equally refined, but they didn't look alike.

In terms of age of death, Lily was closer, and most importantly, her personality, the air around her, and the temperature of the light in her eyes were the exact opposite.

If Jenny was a Burning flame, then she was glorious ice.

Even so, Sora still saw the similarity between Jenny and her.

Even though I should have found the answer, I was frantically looking for it again.

However, in the end, the answer given by the person with the picture was the same as the answer I found, and when I raised the answer from the bottom of my heart to the ghost in my mind, the ghost narrowed its eyes faintly. In my mind, I said, "Aren't you stupid?"

(Because I am stupid, I do not know, so I search for it over and over again and ask.)

(... You don't know, you idiot.)

Although they looked completely different, when she cried at the end, Sora still felt a strange resemblance between the older sister and Jenny; Sora tucked away the ghost of the sister living in his heart and smiled again.

"Thank you, Miss Jenny. Thank you for your answer.

Let's end it here. Don't worry about Alter-chan or Lily-chan anymore, or hide anything."

Smiling, without waiting for Jenny to answer, Sora squatted on the spot and casually used a Disposable Mud Stick to stab at Jenny's shadow, cutting it open.

"It," which did not even care about its own death and kept screaming curses until it vanished, was undoubtedly unrelated to the living; it was severed, pure, and therefore lacked substance. "Malice" was just like that.

"I've cleaned up everything in the house, so there's nothing to worry about, right?

As for the reason why Auntie's place became a haunted house, that obsessive religion, I know a Hunter who specializes in fraudulent religious companies, so I will do something with that person, so even if Auntie comes, it's fine to ignore her."

Jenny, sitting across from Sora, who was summarizing the day and drinking coffee elegantly, bowed her head deeply.

"Thank you very much. For everything.

... But, um, is this really okay? Although I owe you so much, all I can give you is the travel expenses and the cost of this meal..."

"No, I really don't work much, so I'm sorry to ask for your thanks. Don't worry about the cleanup after the fraudulent religion; of course, this is a hobby for me and my acquaintance."

After finishing dinner at a nearby family restaurant, Jenny apologized to Sora during a short break in the conversation, and Sora answered somewhat awkwardly that she didn't need to worry about Jenny.

For the time being, the house and the three sisters were settled, and as expected, Jenny and the others had no time or energy to prepare dinner, so eating here was to thank Sora and the others, but Jenny, of course, and even the child Lily and the obedient Alter seemed sorry, worried that the only reward for solving their problem was travel expenses and a meal at a family restaurant.

But in reality, Sora had almost no intention of dealing with this, so in Sora's view, the airship fare—which was quite cheap for a Hunter ID—and the family restaurant bill were actually too much.

For Sora, what he did and what he needed was to kill the "Curse" on Jenny.

As for Alter and Lily, he just pointed out their "true source of stress."

Jenny and Sora noticed it at the same time, so it could be solved without Sora.

The culprit that became a gathering place for ghosts, the yorishiro, was only affected by Jenny's "Curse."

It wasn't something that had Qi intentionally injected into it to activate an ability, but the backward compatibility of the curse Jenny possessed was accurate.

It had a synergistic effect with Jenny's curse and had become a troublesome thing, but under normal circumstances, it is better to leave it alone rather than point out that it is bad, discover it, and fuel fear and anxiety.

So no matter how much Jenny cared, Sora had no intention of accepting any more money or gifts, and Leorio said: "If we live a normal life, we won't have any problems with money, so don't worry. Please don't do that." As expected, the stubborn Jenny also understood that it would be troublesome if she insisted on thanking him, so she reluctantly agreed.

"Sora-dono, if you haven't decided which Inn to stay at, stay at my place!

I want to hear about Sora-san's work and Sora-san's friends, it's not much different from me!"

Without waiting for Jenny and Sora to finish, Lily proposed innocently.

At the very least, she wanted to offer her own home instead of an Inn, but it seemed she could understand that the scales had already tipped toward "I want to hear Sora's stories" rather than "I'm sorry, I can't thank you" like a child.

The eldest daughter was composed, and the youngest daughter bluntly reprimanded her: "Don't force yourself to say that."

In Lily's eyes, there was no longer the impatience of "I have to grow up quickly."

The two sisters saw expectation and hope flickering in their eyes, and they seemed relieved, just like the day they returned from the sea two years ago.

Similarly, Astolfo watched Lily endure not giving up on her dream with a smile, and suddenly remembered and asked.

"Come to think of it, Lily, what exactly are you going to do with 'Nen Ability'? Are you going to ask Sora-chan or let Leorio teach you?"

"Ah... thinking about it calmly, the dream of becoming a Hunter and the longing for Hunters were not lies, but I really don't know what I specifically want to do as a Hunter.... That's why I want to put my Training on hold for a while."

"That's good. Nen Ability is like the heart, so if you decide what you want to do or what kind of person you want to become without being sure of what you want, you might end up killing yourself.

Decide what kind of person you want to become, hold your head high, and it's not too late to start Cultivation now... Lily-chan, grow up slowly."

Answering Astolfo's question, Lily, who had already calmed down, lowered her head shyly and answered while drinking juice.

Sora also agreed with this answer.

He felt that Lily was serious about her dream, so he didn't mean to object, so he taught her a little about accuracy while stroking her head, as if to convince her not to do that.

Sora did not deny the sister's dream, affirmed and fulfilled Jenny and Alter's wish: "I hope you can treat us well without worrying about us. I hope you live like a child." After dinner, he glared at me while drinking coffee and muttered. "... Thank you." The voice was faint.

The voice seemed to disappear, but it reached Sora's ears, so he smiled and said to Alter.

"Well, Alter-chan, don't worry.

Also, I want to remind Alter-chan, that house became a gathering place for spirits; although I wiped out all the yorishiro and those who stayed behind, there were too many spirits, and they stayed for too long. Perhaps that's why, for some reason, that house is a passage for wandering spirits, so you shouldn't be afraid of it often.

If you are afraid, that would be great. If a beauty like you treats me like a bad guy, 90% of people will be disappointed.... If there is a masochist who won't leave... then, just pull him out with Utopia!!"

"Are you giving me a Suggestion or solving a problem?! Utopia doesn't even have to be like that!!"

Sora gave a suggestion that made it unclear if he was serious or joking, and Alter got angry at him.

Having said that, Leorio instinctively held his head with both hands and looked at the woman who couldn't help but misinterpret the atmosphere, and apologized to Jenny: "Seriously, I'm sorry for bringing such an idiot here."

"Hmm? Ah, no! It's okay, I know Mr. Sora is telling us to encourage us, not to let us feel discouraged!"

"Really sorry! Really sorry for bringing this idiot!!"

However, if Jenny really believed Leorio's apology, then Leorio would regret it even more, putting his hands on the table and lowering his head like a dog.

Jenny was even more frightened by this reaction, and she asked Leorio: "Ah? Ah? Um, please lift your head up!!"

"... I don't know what Mr. Leorio is apologizing for, but there is really no need to apologize.

Thank you very much. Sora, and of course Leorio and Astolfo.

To us, he listened to our stories about our family and home without making fun of us, and he contacted others who could solve our problems and made requests on our behalf. I cannot thank you enough.

Thank you very much."

Carrying the guilt of starting to play with Leorio's sister with an airbreaker, he was shocked by the gentle smile of a beauty with outstanding style, and he stuck his nose out and said: "No, I just did what I should have done!"

He didn't even notice that everyone except Jenny was staring at him with blank eyes, saying: "This guy is...".

"Well, Jenny. If you don't mind, can you tell me your phone number and email address?

No! I don't think it's strange at all! However, there are times when three sisters need a man's hand! If I could help then... "Leorio. Jenny, I have a boyfriend, and I am assuming marriage.""

Not noticing the white eyes next to him, especially the absolute zero gazes of Sora and Alter, Astolfo covered Leorio's words and said something to Leorio; Leorio probably didn't have any strange feelings, but he had ulterior motives.

Unable to understand the senior's words, he continued to be aggressive, but a few seconds later, Astolfo's words finally entered his brain in the form of information, and Leorio froze as if he had been petrified.

And just like Leorio, Jenny, who had been unable to understand Astolfo's words for a moment, understood at the same time as Leorio, and shouted at Astolfo with a blushing face.

"………………！？～～～～～Ahhhhhhh Astolfo! Hey, what are you saying all of a sudden!?"

"No, I think waking up quickly from a useless dream is a form of mercy."

"I don't understand what you mean! I mean, Sieg and I, that's a premise like marriage or lovers..."

"Who was it that skipped the confession and said 'I want you to live Together with me', and then immediately answered 'Yes!!'?"

I mean, if you haven't admitted it yet, do you think I still have a chance? I love Sieg, I want to be Together with him forever, but when you keep saying this kind of nonsense, I'm really angry!!"

"Wait a minute! I heard something even more unheard of than Jenny's boyfriend! That Sieg is a man!? You are also a man!?"

Astolfo was very angry at Jenny's bluffing to cover up her embarrassment, but Leorio, who had been frozen by Astolfo's shocking remarks, restarted and rushed in.

Sora was also quite concerned about Astolfo's remarks, but Sora, who had otaku hobbies but was not rotten, ignored it for the time being, eating "Love Story", with a rare femininity flashing in his eyes.

"Huh? What's going on? Who is that Sieg?

Essentially, for Sora, who is a virgin and loves to dream, love stories are actually a very good topic. Sora thinks it has nothing to do with him, so "lovers on the premise of marriage" seems strange. Don't give up and ask questions.

Seeing Sora's unexpected bite, Jenny blushed and asked her sisters for help, but they were ruthless at this time.

"Sieg is an Amateur Hunter who made me want to become a Hunter. He is scheduled to take the exam this year, so he might be Sora's junior."

"Frankly speaking, we don't know much about it. Somehow, three years ago, that pink-haired cat picked it up like a cat or dog, and it seems to have happened without us knowing. It would be better if she didn't know." Don't do it, get her as soon as possible while she still has a bride."

"That's right. I want to call Sieg 'brother-in-law' as soon as possible."

"Change! Lily!!"

Both Alter and Lily answered Sora's question instead of Jenny as if saying "Ah, noisy and annoying again," and did not help Jenny.

Or rather, from the two of them, this has been a well-known fact for more than three years, although their late parents have officially acknowledged it, is Jenny's reaction, which is still too fresh, really annoying? You look like you've become

"You picked them up like cats and dogs... You call them pets, what kind of habit is that?"

"I didn't pick it up! It was a fated encounter!!"

And when Leorio rushed into the point of Alter's explanation with an expression of not knowing how to react, Astolfo puffed out his chest and announced with a proud face.

Sora asked Astolfo: "Why did you pick it up, and why did that person propose to Jenny?" From the words of Alter and Astolfo, he must have judged that he knew more about their romance than both parties.

"Well, I think it should be three years ago, when I was walking my pet, I found a dying Sieg..."

"Astolfo!"

"Ouch ouch! Stop, don't pull my cheeks!"

And Astolfo was also responsible for mixing all the juices in the Bar, drinking the products in one gulp, and although he was not drunk, he got into the mood and started talking loudly, so even the saint was angry, and the physical Astolfo had been muted.

While pulling Astolfo's sticky cheeks, the blushing Jenny forced Sora to say something stiff and closer to end the topic.

"Come to think of it, Sora's eyes have changed color!"

"Ah, yes. It's a bit special."

Sure enough, Sora really couldn't listen to the story of such a shy and annoying person, so Sora smiled bitterly and followed Jenny's extreme change of topic.

And when the topic turned, the sisters who were tired of watching Jenny's reaction and were just infatuated, and Leorio, who had questions before his heart was broken, also joined in, saying "This reminds me", "Oh, I forgot to explain." He reacted, but the most intense reaction was still Astolfo, who was in the mood to play with Jenny.

"！！Ah, right! I remembered! There is something I want to ask Sora-chan!!"

"！？What happened suddenly? What? What do you want to ask?"

After successfully changing the topic, Astolfo pulled his loose hand from Jenny's cheek, put his hands on the table, and leaned forward.

Jeanne, Leorio, and others were stunned by this sudden Sword movement, and Sora also let them speak first.

Astolfo said that whether it was Jenny's fault or self-inflicted, a flushed face almost made him laugh out loud.

"Is Sora-chan related to the 'Kurta Tribe'?"

Sora's eyebrows jumped, and Leorio's eyes widened.

However, before they could ask "Why is the name 'Kurta Tribe' mentioned here?", Astolfo spoke with a machine gun.

"You know, ever since I discovered that your eye color changed, I thought you were the same as the Kurta Tribe!

I first learned about the Kurta Tribe from the news 5 years ago, but the news was that they were slaughtered and destroyed, so I cried because it was so bad, and the reason they were slaughtered was like Sora-chan. I am from a tribe whose eyes change color every second, and when they found out that their eyes were what they wanted, they cried again, and, their eyes became more colorful when they were angry or sad, right?!?

That's why I cried so much when I learned that I was slaughtered after suffering terrible torture, so when I saw Sora-chan's eyes, I was worried!"

"Cried too much"

When Astolfo suddenly brought up the topic of the "Kurta Tribe", Sora and Leorio were of course the three sisters who had nothing to do with each other.

Seeing that Sora's vigilance disappeared, Leorio breathed a sigh of relief, just as he rushed in.

Sora himself would not have thought that Astolfo would have an insensitive interest or insult to the Kurta Tribe, but even so, the topic of that race was already close to a landmine for him.

Even if Kurapika didn't know it himself, he knew that he would not forgive anyone who trampled on the family's self-esteem. The moment he left, Leorio didn't feel like he was alive.

"Well, first of all, thank you for caring so much about me and mourning for the Kurta Tribe.

I know my eyes are easy to be targeted, for the same reason as the Kurta Tribe. Don't worry, because I know and am taking measures.

Also, my eye characteristics are similar to the Kurta Tribe, so it doesn't matter. My eyes are acquired."

Sora smiled and said: "Don't worry."

For Leorio, who knows everything about what happened in Yorkshin last year, remarks like "Don't worry" and "I am taking measures" are full of carelessness. Voluntary suicide!"

"Huh? Sora-chan, are you completely unrelated to the Kurta Tribe?"

To Sora's answer, Astolfo asked back. Obviously, although he knew that the eye color of the Kurta Tribe changed, he seemed not to know until it turned into what color.

Why he knew so much about the "Scarlet Eyes" but had no interest in it at all, just crying and mourning for the destruction of someone who had nothing to do with him, Sora respected his answer.

"No blood relationship."

He trusted Astolfo, but even so, there was no Malice due to some mistake, and the information about the "Kurta Tribe survivor" Kurapika in his mouth was placed on the Collection shelf, rather than as a living person. Sora answered in the most sincere way that could be understood as denying "completely unrelated".

I don't know if he expressed his sincerity, but Astolfo persuaded him, "I understand."

As soon as he sat down, he muttered to himself, and no one would hear it.

"Hmm, does that matter?"

"There are even topics on the internet about the survivors of the Kurta clan—"

"――――Astolfo!!"

This time, Sora stood up with enough force to overturn the table, reached out his arms to grab his shoulders, and asked him.

"... Where is it, and what is the topic? Do you know it is spreading on a website visible to the public?

Tell me, Astolfo! Please!!"

Sora pleaded with Astolfo using the deepest, brightest blue eyes of the day.

Seeking help, clinging to him like a lost child with a face about to cry, Sora inquired about the information on the "Kurta clan survivors."

This is the end of the original work.

Next time, I will insert an interlude between the story from Abengane's perspective before the Hame-gumi bombing, which is a bit earlier than this, and the story of the Hunter Exam from Killua's perspective, which is a bit later (both will likely be in one episode). From here on, we will enter the first movie, "Phantom Rouge."

I have seen this movie in the theater, but I don't have the DVD; however, I have the novel, so the story will be based on the novel version.

So the development of some scenes is slightly different from the movie, but... when you are dealing with the original master, worrying about this is useless.

Anyway, I hope those who have seen the movie and those who haven't will enjoy it.

... Also, I was worried about whether to write a note in the preface, but I felt that overemphasizing it would make people uncomfortable, so I didn't write anything.

But let me say this.

This is official, not my hobby. Officially, Jenny's romantic rival is not any other female character, but Astolfo...

Although it was already bad when setting up Astolfo, Katatsuki is really tired of this formula, and it's too big...

And also, I forgot to include the setting of the gap in the main part this time.

The "Hunter specializing in fraudulent religious companies" that Sora mentioned is Ms. Marta, created by Tekken. I got to know a swindler who appeared in the previous chapter.

For now, the outsider is a Crime Hunter, and the main business is being a sister. Someone who has no intention of denying anything other than Christianity cannot forgive crimes based purely on faith.

By the way, there is a Tarasque. Also, Ms. Marta is a strong Enhancer, so it is not a Spirit Beast incarnation, but a real creature.

How do you use these creatures? With fists, of course.

I don't know if there will be a chance to write about the meeting of Astolfo, Jenny, and Sieg, and the friendship between Sieg and Jenny in the main story. The plot?) will be released in the live report, so those interested can go and take a look.

However, Sieg is planned to appear in a way that is deeply related to the story in the future, but the involved parts contain spoilers, so please read at your own risk.

Also, based on the above reasons, please do not leave your impressions of what was written in the victory report in the comment section of the main story; please leave them in the comment section of the victory report.

Non-logged-in users cannot post comments, but there are always people who do not like spoilers, so please be considerate.