I'm surrounded by devil sisters!

"That shouldn't be the case..."

Yuki wanted to say something else, but Hanakaiin Fugui's voice rang out.

"So, who are you?"

"……what?"

As soon as these words came out, "Ichimaru Brown", who had given the impression of being clear and speaking at a steady pace from the beginning, seemed to be slightly stunned.

He touched his chin and then let out a soft "oh".

"You don't know me? That's strange, but it's okay. Let me introduce myself. My name is Shiba Kyoichi. Hmm... I was probably the 'strongest' before you became the 'strongest', so I'm currently the 'former strongest'."

"Become the strongest?"

Hanakaiin Buddhagui showed a subtle expression that said, "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

"When exactly are you talking about..."

"When was it...about, ten years ago?"

Ichimaru Brown... Oh no, it should be Shiba Kyou as he recalled thoughtfully.

"I remember that it was the time when the mountain village and your Huakaiyuan family were holding a joint training camp."

"So you know me?"

He originally thought that the other party was just talking nonsense, but now he was calling himself the "strongest" and mentioned the "joint training". Hua Kaiyuan Fogui had to admit that this guy probably did know him.

"Of course."

Shiba Kyoichi raised the corners of his mouth and clapped his hands.

"Ah, but I wasn't interested in your training at the time, so I didn't take the initiative to contact you. Later, when I heard those old guys talk about your deeds, they said you had already left. I felt a little disappointed."

"……so what?"

In fact, Huakaiyuan Fugui had almost guessed what he was going to say next, but he still asked.

Then the corners of Shiba Kyoichi's mouth widened further.

"I won't beat around the bush, so let me be frank. In short, I've always been looking forward to fighting you, Hanakaiin-kun."

“…What’s the point?”

"It doesn't need any meaning. It's just a necessary process to determine the 'strongest'."

ha?

Huakaiyuan Fogui wanted to say something but stopped himself, took a deep breath, and finally exhaled slowly.

"The problem is, you're not strong either."

"Ok?"

The smile that had always been on Kyoichi Shiba's face showed a flaw at this moment.

"Did you...just say anything?"

"Never mind, it's nothing, it's just..."

Huakaiyuan Fogui continued to hesitate to speak.

"Never mind. Come to think of it, after all, the village is only that good. Everyone is about the same... well, so it's normal for someone a little bit better to be regarded as the best. So that's it."

Shiba Kyoichi: "..."

The three pauses in Huakaiyuan Fogui's words were like three heavy slaps in his face.

You are not strong...

But the village was only that good anyway, everyone was pretty much the same...

So it's normal for a slightly more powerful one to be regarded as the strongest...

Does it mean that he is the tall one that was pulled out from among the short ones? ! !

For the first time since they met, Shiba Kyoichi suppressed his smile and pursed his lips slightly.

"It doesn't matter. No matter how unwilling you are, there will be a battle between you and me in the end."

“…I don’t have time. I’m too lazy.”

"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with whether you are willing or not. I should say that you should be free even if you are not free anymore."

Shiba Kyo raised his face slightly with a clear mind.

"Have you forgotten? The mission given by the village this time is to find the daughter of the Demon King Wilbert. Now that I have found her, it is time for me to return to the village to report the mission. If nothing unexpected happens, Wilbert's daughter will be directly identified as an A-level elimination target by the village."

"Really? Then I'll make this village my A-rank elimination target now."

Huakaiyuan Fogui let out a cry of "Oh".

"It just so happens that I haven't seen those old guys in a while. How about I bring your head to your house as a souvenir?"

Chapter 252 This is the roadside

There was no intention to ease the conflict. Hua Kaiyuan Fogui's simple words directly intensified the already tense atmosphere between the two sides to the most serious level.

Or it should be said that there was no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides from the very beginning.

Of course, there is no need for confrontation.

However, at this moment, Kyoichi Sasaki, who was still threatening a second ago, suddenly took a half step back.

"?"

Huakaiyuan Fogui raised a question mark.

What does that mean? One second he's still brazenly threatening things like "I'll report this to the village and have them make him an A-level elimination target," and the next second he's "protecting" everyone in front of him?

"Why, is there anything else you want to say?"

"Um……"

Shiba Kyoichi was silent for a second, then suddenly revealed his fox-like smile again.

"Haha~ I didn't say we were going to start a fight right here, and the venue here isn't very suitable. I've already notified Hayase Takashi, and he'll probably be in Tokyo around noon. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about when we meet up."

"Oh? Takashi is coming too."

Huakaiyuan Fogui responded, but was completely unmoved.

"To be honest, I don't have much to talk to him about, and I guess he doesn't have much to talk to me about either."

"That's hard to say. We'll know after we meet."

The corners of Shiba Kyouichi's eyes, which were narrowed like a fox, twitched slightly, and the arc of his mouth widened a little more.

"Okay, we've said everything we need to say. We can discuss the rest later after Hayase Takashi arrives. Nonaka Yuuki, Nonaka Kurumi, it's almost time for us to leave."

"...!"

Hearing that her name and her sister's name were also called, Yuuki Nonaka couldn't help but tremble slightly.

By this point she had completely understood Kyoichi Sasaki's plan.

Kyoichi Sasaki did not intend to escape the battle with Hanakaiin Buddha, but for him, he did not want to fight the latter "here".

At this moment, Kyoichi Sasaki has already seen her hesitation. Once a fight really breaks out here, the only two people who can be counted as combat forces are Kyoichi Sasaki and her sister Kurumi Nonaka. In comparison, there are five people on Hanakaiin Fukui's side.

Kyoichi Sasaki is looking for a one-on-one duel with Hanakaiin Fukukai, and it is obviously impossible for Kurumi to restrain the four women including Sheila by herself.

In this case, waiting for Hayase Takashi to arrive before starting the battle is the best option. Because the circumstances of this mission are special, the village specially allowed him to bring the artifact "White Tiger". With the blessing of the artifact and Hayase Takashi's own strength, it will be no problem for him to work with Walnut to clamp down on three of the four women.

No matter how shaken she is, Yuuki Nonaka is still a member of the village and can only carry out the village's orders without fail. Escape or resistance will be regarded as betrayal.

Therefore, as long as they wait for Hayase Takashi to arrive in Tokyo, they can achieve a three-on-four situation, and Shiba Kyoichi will be able to successfully engage in a one-on-one duel with Hanakaiin Bukyou.

But doing so would mean going to war with Fogui, which Yuxi absolutely did not want to see.

"elder sister……"

Seeing the hesitation in her sister's expression, Walnut, who was standing beside her, whispered a reminder.

At this point, even she could see that this Kyoichi Sasaki was obviously the supervisor appointed by the village for this mission.

Showing obvious wavering emotions in front of the Overseer would be tantamount to betrayal to the village.

"I……"

Yuxi clenched her teeth, and her fists under her sleeves were clenched so tightly that they turned white.

This was the moment for her to make a decision - either leave with Shiba Kyoichi and reunite with Hayase Takashi, but that would mean becoming an enemy of Buddha Kai; or follow her heart and stay, but doing so would be tantamount to becoming an enemy of the village.

Neither of these two results is what she wants to see.

but……

"So, did I say you're allowed to go?"

At this moment, the voice of Huakaiyuan Buddha Gui rang out.

Before Kyoichi Sasaki could take a step forward, he was forced to retract his foot.

The two looked at each other again, and Shiba Kyoichi slightly restrained his smile.

"What do you mean? Does Hanakaiin-kun really intend to start a war right here?"

"War?"

Huakaiyuan Fogui shook his head.

"I don't even know what gives you the right to talk about war with me. Just like Arisu said, you were once sealed by the village. So guess why the village sealed you and not me? Is it because they don't want to or can't do it? It can't be because I have a good reputation in the village, right?"

“…What are you talking about?”

Hearing this, Kyoichi Sasaki's fox eyes finally opened a slit, revealing a pair of eyes filled with dangerous aura.

"You are drooling even after being cured."

Huakaiyuan Fogui shook his head.

"Since you've already shown hostility towards me, there's nothing more to say. It seems I haven't even greeted you since we met, so—"

"Hello, fellow villager. Goodbye, useless 'strongest'."

"...!!"

He didn't even sense the slightest hint of murderous intent, but Kyoichi Sasaki's body tensed up all the muscles as if it were a conditioned reflex.

The next moment he suddenly jumped back high. The whole process from accumulating strength to taking off took less than one tenth of a second.

But it was too late.

Without any pre-swing movement, a circle of golden power spread out in all directions with Hanakaiin Buddha as the center, just like the confrontation with the messenger shikigami of the Lion King Organization at the door of the apartment on Gengami Island a while ago.

When the golden light faded, everything in the restaurant remained the same.

Except... one person is missing.

Shiba Kyoichi is gone.

In the footage that was slowed down ten thousand times, he was still soaring in the air, and had not even entered the downward trajectory in the entire parabola, but his body dissipated like a sand sculpture blown by the wind (literally), leaving no trace.

"This, this is..."

Nonaka Yuki opened her mouth in surprise.

She had no idea what had happened at that moment, and when she came to her senses, the other person had already disappeared, just like erasing a part of the drawing board with an eraser.

"It's really... I don't know what to say."

The flower blooms in the courtyard and the Buddha converts to Buddhism, which is the final word.

After saying that, he sat back down on the sofa in the booth and waved to the two brave girls who were still standing there.

"Okay, if you have any questions, please wait a little longer. Breakfast time is almost over here. Let's quickly see if there's anything delicious left and grab some. Let's sit down and eat together. You can still answer questions later."

“Uh, well…”

After giving her sister Kurumi a signal look, Nonoka Yuuki, who had come to her senses first, grabbed her sister's hand and turned around and walked straight towards the dining car.

At the same time, Naruse Mio, who had almost finished eating, pulled the boy's sleeve.

"So you haven't answered my question yet. What exactly is your relationship with that Brave Village? Why do they... uh, especially that guy just now, treat you strangely?"