Campione: Strongest# 460: Forget the Duck, Go for the Hen!

“Who’s there??” The instant the arms wrapped around his waist, Haru’s gaze sharpened, and he let out a low growl.

He immediately remembered that the only people who could approach him so silently were those he subconsciously considered intimate. Even with his exceptional senses, Haru never guarded against his close companions.

An enemy might exploit this weakness, but living a life where you had to be wary of your own family seemed utterly miserable. Haru thought anyone living like that was a pathetic fool.

As Haru was lost in thought, a soft pressure touched his back—the unmistakable feeling of a cheek pressed against him.

“Why no answer?” Haru looked down at the arms around his waist, puzzled.

The person behind him didn't respond, but a finger traced two words on his stomach: ‘You guess.’

Haru’s expression shifted to one of wry amusement.

In response to this blatant flirtation, SHIKI, still perched on Haru’s head, began to ram her spherical body against his skull, venting her displeasure.

‘How dare you try to poach him right in front of me?? Am I invisible??’

‘And you, you jerk! Get your hands off her, or I’ll cut you!’

Unfortunately for SHIKI, in her current soul state, only those with the ‘abnormal’ ability to see ghosts could hear her.

Feeling the repeated impacts, Haru sighed. “It’s Kirié, isn’t it?”

“Why didn’t you guess Azaka or Fujino?” Kirié Fujou, her arms still wrapped around Haru’s waist, chuckled demurely from behind him.

“Azaka’s hands aren’t nearly as pale as yours,” Haru said, lightly rubbing Kirié’s pale arms with his own.

‘Azaka? Kirié? Uncle, I think I need an explanation,’ SHIKI fumed, ramming his head again, her voice laced with the grinding of teeth.

“SHIKI, Kirié and Azaka are people I met while you were hospitalized,” Haru explained with a strained smile to the jealous entity on his head.

“How long was I hospitalized?” SHIKI asked, confused, having no sense of the time that had passed.

“One month and two days,” Haru answered without hesitation.

“Only one month, and you’ve already found two of them??” Enraged, SHIKI began to furiously ram Haru’s head.

“SHIKI??” Kirié, hearing Haru’s voice, was startled. Mistaking the name for Shiki, she quickly peered over his shoulder, her gaze fixed on the girl on the bed.

(PS: In Japanese, ‘SHIKI’ and ‘Shiki’ have the same pronunciation.)

Seeing Shiki still peacefully asleep, Kirié’s tense face relaxed, and she let out a huge sigh of relief. What she was about to do was far beyond her moral comfort zone. If Nyarlathotep hadn't egged her on, she probably wouldn't have dared to even come here, choosing instead to wallow in self-pity. If Shiki had been awake, Kirié would have fled instantly.

‘Get her out of here, NOW!’ SHIKI roared at Haru, incensed by Kirié’s actions.

Haru’s expression turned odd. Why was SHIKI in such a foul mood? A gentle woman like Kirié shouldn’t have provoked such a strong reaction from the normally cheerful SHIKI. 'Well, I did just put her through the equivalent of childbirth a moment ago. I suppose I should humor her for now.'

With that thought, Haru gently took Kirié’s wrists, stepped out of her embrace, and turned, intending to escort her from the room.

“…”

The moment he turned, Haru froze, staring at Kirié in stunned silence.

Her pale skin, now tinged with a faint, healthy glow, was fully exposed, the two striking points of red on her chest clearly visible. Her serene, gentle face was flushed with a seductive coyness. She kept raising her hands, trying to cover herself, but hesitated, leaving a tantalizing, half-concealed view—a hazy, dreamlike beauty.

Haru finally understood SHIKI’s rage. Kirié was clearly offering herself to him, right in front of her. It would be strange if she wasn’t furious.

Seeing Haru’s dumbfounded expression, Kirié hesitated for a moment, then raised her slender arms and wrapped them around his neck.

“…Hold me!”

Her trembling voice whispered in his ear, her watery, light-blue eyes reflecting his face.

“Kirié, calm down. Let’s go back to your room first,” Haru said, swallowing hard, his voice low and deep.

It wasn't that he wasn't tempted, but SHIKI was still fuming on his head. He had just secured permission for a ‘duo act,’ and if he made a move now, the cooked duck would surely fly away. Of course, he had no intention of letting this ripe apple go to waste, which was why he had suggested going ‘back to her room.’

“…” Seeing the despair slowly fill Kirié’s eyes, Haru’s lip twitched. It seemed she had completely missed the subtext of his words.

“I understand, Haru.” Kirié’s eyes went vacant. She released her arms, slowly turned, and walked unsteadily toward the door, her soul seemingly having left her body.

Seeing this, SHIKI stopped ramming Haru.

Kirié’s look of utter despair had struck a nerve. How could she stand to be cuckolded to her face? Yet, the thought of Kirié’s empty eyes filled her with a strange frustration. 'Fine, he already has a bunch of them outside. Out of sight, out of mind!'

With that, SHIKI barked in a complex tone, “Just get out! Get out, both of you!”

Haru’s eyes flashed with surprise. He rolled his eyes, then, with a feigned look of helplessness, he lifted the sphere of light from his head and placed it next to Shiki Ryougi on the bed.

“You got what you wanted, and you’re still complaining? Are you trying to die??” SHIKI fumed, seeing his ‘helpless’ expression.

His bluff having failed, Haru glanced at Kirié, and his lip twitched. 'Forget the duck. If the hen kills herself, it’ll be a real mess.'

He reached out, wrapped an arm around Kirié’s waist, and pulled the dazed girl into his arms.

“Eh??” Kirié looked up in shock at the hand gripping her waist, her head tilted in confusion.

Haru’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “Didn’t you want me to hold you? Are you ready to be held until you cry?”

“...Mmm.” Kirié’s face flushed crimson. She shyly nodded, then slowly closed her eyes.