Web of light. Part 1-7

"Not those role-playing games!" I finally managed to cut into Shizuka's monologue. "I was referring to D'n'D board games or role-playing games with reincarnation. No, not a maid or even a nurse! An elf or a Space Marine. What I mean is, the player and the piece are one. The player represents himself as a figure, plays the game by himself. And we will not have a game, but a study..."

"..Imagine yourself as a hamster!" Mizuchi snorted. I just sighed heavily: everyone's got these hamsters.

"So you want to make Jinguji work for you? It's a big idea, you know."

"It will be beneficial for them too." I shrugged my shoulders, "besides, not all the Jingujis, but only the local Committee. Personally, they did not actually participate in anything because of their weakness, civilian personnel were not involved at all. And we will need loyal magicians if we want our experiment to turn into a practical guide.

"They didn't kill themselves, you know, they just targeted the killers."

"As far as I know, is there a similar practice among the Yokai to detect potential food?" Shizuka grimaced. I pointed my finger at the sky and got hit, but it was simple: how did all these hordes of weak-willed aggressive freaks come out to canon Yuto, if you can feel my aura barely a kilometer away?

Shizuka inhaled... exhaled...

"Two desires are fighting in me, you know... trust you without looking back... or drop everything and run without seeing a crash... Your dream has already become mine."

"If that's the case, it's still no reason to sit in a puddle," I translated the conversation. All these "high matters" and "diplomacy" are pretty exhausting. I do not know how much longer a snake can stay in a puddle of water, a water yokai is probably comfortable... But not for me! Therefore, I hesitated for a second longer, then mentally waved my hand, and, bending down, picked up the girl under her back and knees.

"Ouch! Where are you taking me?"

I understood intellectually that a body made of water could not be heavier than a body made of water and protein. That's the confirmation.

"To bed. I need to sleep. Tomorrow we will hold a general briefing and start acting, and now we will rest."

"..You're going the wrong way, you know..."

"=I stood in front of Shizuka's room, looking puzzled and silent. I won't be able to sleep anyway... one... I should think about all this... again.

I opened the door with my foot and carried the girl into my room. I put it on the bed, just like that — wet, without undressing. He climbed in next.

He squeezed the stiffened body by the shoulders and waist. And, tired, he fell asleep. I don't know what Shizuka was doing there at night, but the next morning I woke up in a wet bed, in wet clothes, and a snake hugging my neck, smiling in a dream. While I was opening my arms, which were almost made of steel for such a fragile build, I heard, "It's still so early, nii-chan, dree-aam!" Yeah, it's stupid, but I was grinning from ear to ear as I walked down the stairs. Wow, miracles do happen!

Part 20

chapter 107.

It's a stupid situation: my kitchen, and I've cooked in it at most five times. Well, not counting slicing sandwiches. And in the last two weeks, Rinko and I have already gotten so used to the fact that awesome delicious food is already waiting for us in the morning... but the snake is sleeping today. Which finally made me think that there was a reason she went to bed later than me, and a lot of work was usually done in the morning. Yes, my "kindness" and "responsiveness" are just off the charts... How did I overlook under my own nose that Shizuka just couldn't sleep properly? And after all, if it weren't for her sharp reaction, it's still unknown how many would not have noticed. No, you can say that I'm not a psychologist... but such an epic fail! But there were hints in the manga... But what about now?

Fridge. And what do we have in stock? BEETROOT! I can't stand it, who bought it?! Is it really Rinko? So she knows about my tender feelings for this vegetable. Although... Wait a minute. Damn it! I bought it myself, a month ago. It's a great illustration of how one bad idea completely overwhelms common sense.

I regularly read Russian samizdat — and so that I don't forget the language, and in general it turned out that I just missed a lot of authors. It is especially rzhachen to read popadanstvo in anime Japan, there are few of them yet, but given my situation, it would be a sin not to help with advice! But I digress. The authors of works on this topic have compiled a whole list of what a "faithful" person should do: and if the Kalashnikov assault rifle is recommended exclusively for those who got into the Second World War, then Vysotsky's rehash is mandatory for everyone, including those who got into fantasy. It would seem that so what? Karaoke clubs are very popular, Vysotsky is definitely among the recordings, as a last resort, you can bring your own mp3s... But I'm even worse at singing than dancing. The intermediate cartridge has already been invented, but somehow they didn't write about the T-72, which needs to be redone to create the "dream tank"... and I got the idea to make the only Russian that was relatively safe for others from the entire set of "ru-cranberries" (I soberly assessed the quality of my singing and attributed my possible playing on the balalaika to the elements of mass destruction). So, yes, yes! I was going to "craft" IT! BORSCH!!!

Putting Cyrillic letters on a Japanese phone is one of a series of tonsillectomies through the ass, and therefore I found "Russian beetroot soup with meat broth" on Google without much fuss, and, periodically checking the text and pictures, I started. Yes, yes, I know, soup for breakfast is kind of weird.

But for some reason, when Shizuka makes miso soup for breakfast, everyone eats in silence. That means I can, too. And the beetroot skin began to wrinkle suspiciously... I like beets that are frozen in the refrigerator even less than fresh ones. It took me two hours to pre-process the ingredients and cook the broth, and a loaf of bread and ham were unlucky enough to become my snack. Cami! For the way I eat — healthy, delicious, varied food — Rinko and Shizuka should have monuments! So, where's my big pot? We start the basic reaction, so to speak...

"What are you doing?" Rinko asked me suspiciously from the entrance. "Is something wrong with Shizuka? Should I wait?"

"Shizuka is asleep," I reassured my friend, "So, I wanted to try my hand, but I woke up early. We have a trip planned today to visit Shizuka's "relatives", I wouldn't have time to do scientific work anyway."

"Hm-m," Rinko lifted the lid and sniffed. "Beetroot?! Yuuto, are you sure you're okay? Did this snake infect you with anything? Is there no fever?"

"Rinko! It's all right! I'm just trying my hand!"

"I hope you're not brewing poison."

"Wow, the poison! How lucky I am!"

So, and here's another fan of eating for free.

"Good morning, Hiroe-chan."

"Hello everyone Oh, do you cook your OWN food, Yuto-kun? Or is it really poison? And where is our favorite chef?!"

"Shizuka is sleeping, sleeping!"

"You know, it smells kind of edible, but it's kind of suspicious." Rinko supported me with a somewhat dubious statement.

"Yuto, have you ever made this kind of soup before?"

"No," I said through clenched teeth, "Mom cooked. I decided to repeat it."

"Mom?" Hiroe picked up the open phone and read the name of the recipe. "Russian soup?! I didn't know your mom wasn't Japanese, you don't look like a Gaijin, and you have completely traditional facial features."

Damn it! So I got burned out of the blue. Fortunately, Rinko mistook the furrowed brows for a burst of grief for her dead parents and tugged Kaname's sleeve.

"Half of it," I said, carefully keeping in mind that if my mother is Russian "there" and Japanese here, I have the right to say so. "And I don't know anything about her relatives." But this is the absolute truth.

We were silent for a while, then I turned off the boiling soup and pulled out the plates. Hmm, it kind of smells like borscht. And the ladle is also red and orange, just like Mom's. And the smell...

"Are you going to eat?"

"Uh, come on." this is Rinko.

"Let's treat it as a test of will."

"That's enough already!" I got angry, blowing gently on the spoon. Am-M. By the way, it's fine.

"Good morning, you know... lee..." The snake yawned contagiously from the top of the stairs. But then the distracted look was replaced by a professionally interested one:

"A new dish, you know?"

"Yeah, Yuto's mom made this soup."

"I believe it... That's whether our young head was able to do everything right. Family recipes can be complicated... You know!"

Oops! Who is this "our young head"?! And Hiroe noticed — she widened her eyes and looked incredulous. What about me? Actually, I didn't do anything "like that".

Meanwhile, the snake came down and looked into my plate. And without bending down, go away! She tasted the contents with her tongue. We were so upset. Even though I knew about this option in advance, from the manga.

"Hmm, actually, you can eat, you know."

I sighed, and gave the "tasted" plate to the Goddess of Rivers.

"So, the three of us are going: me, Rinko and Shizuka. Hiroe, your job is to keep in touch. I'll turn on the speakerphone during the negotiations. If you hear something interesting, type and send an SMS. I'm counting on you. As we agreed, we move to the "meeting place" at the ravine, and Shizuka goes to organize negotiations. Thanks to Rinko's "blessing," we should at least be listened to. Besides, Rinko speaks on behalf of the people of the city. I am on behalf of the Amakawa clan, and Shizuka is the guarantor that we do not lie about our goals.

"Br-r!" Rinko shivered as if from a cold draft. "Somehow, everything suddenly turned around! I'm as worried as before an exam!"

"This is our first exam, Rinko. Unfortunately, preparation will not solve anything here, on the contrary, our task is to gain as much time as possible. And the sooner Mizuchi's "colleagues" have their say, the sooner our next step will become clear.

The dealer! Once again, everything is at zero!

chapter 108

The plague! I'm quoting Jack Sparrow. Wasn't that what he said when he boarded a British warship in his underwear? I feel that way. Yes, the Corpse Eater really wanted a truce with the Hunters and peace, but the suggestion I'm making doesn't sound like it. "Guys, you will claim your territory in front of other, possibly stronger and more numerous yokai, and I will save you from other Exorcist clans. Maybe."

No, of course the situation has some chance of a positive outcome. It's not just positive — for all participants of the adventure, it's like a transition to a new level. I definitely need it. Shizuka definitely needs it. It will be beneficial to the Death Eater... unless, of course, he really shares the views he preaches. I definitely need it. Shizuka definitely needs it. It will be beneficial to the Death Eater... unless, of course, he really shares the views he preaches. Because I don't remember anything like that in the manga. But I do remember that there is an "amazing" democracy and equality in the ranks of the Yokai: no one holds anyone back and all that. And it's good if they just send it to a fun address, but if they eat it? Perhaps Mizuchi will try to protect me, but the snake is not a terminator, and killing her comrades is not only for the man she has known for a little less than a month, but also for the future head of Amakawa, the killer of spirits... I wouldn't bet my last money on it. "My dream has become yours." It's worth a lot, of course, but for now, words are just words. It's good that Rinko is almost safe: to break up a parliamentarian with a "blessing" is to be very "unconscionable," especially since Rinko came to ask for herself, or rather, "for her own people." Quite in the spirit of tradition. No, of course, they will refuse her if they disagree, but they will politely and even escort her to the bus stop. I don't really count on Hiroe's special help: all the pros and cons are clearly visible. Her task is to evaluate, if possible, the interlocutors, the structure of the "gang" and draw far-reaching conclusions. It would be possible to send one Mizuchi... but this is either an immediate failure, or at least a receipt for his own incapacity.

Yes, I'm 11 years old. But if this is critical among people, then among the Yokai they are used to not looking at their appearance. I definitely won't hit them with force, but Amakawa has a reputation... It's quite strong and ambiguous. Okay, stop chasing the same thoughts around in circles.

We hardly take any weapons. Using the already proven technology, I made two more "magic wands" — remote laser-triggered stunners (wooden base + laser pointer head) with autonomous power supply. And he poured his mana into them: a quarter of the reserve. The zipper should be good... once. Rather, it was a weapon of complacency, perhaps to demonstrate the "artifact" properties of my power, because in magic vision stunners are completely empty. He took the old artifact for himself, and set aside two new ones for Rinko and Mizuchi.

The clothes on Rinko and me are reinforced, Shizuka will have one of her protective kits. Kuzaki, however, had to be sent to change clothes — for some reason she decided that walking in the foothills was possible in short shorts and sandals. Okay, I'm not wearing stiletto heels, s-swordswoman.

So, did you forget anything? The hamsters are fed, I checked my clothes, and the artifacts look exactly the same...

"We're ready, you know!" She looked into Shizuka's basement, and I had to turn away quickly before she could catch my expression. Arctic fox, it's a fucking arctic fox.

"I'll be out in a minute, wait in the hall!" We wait. The snake closed the hatch, and I exhaled. And now a completely complete Arctic fox! I got so used to it that I completely forgot about her, about my cute little feature. The Ferry of Light is not magic. The source of the light lines, this fucking web, is always in me, or rather, it is me. And in one comely spirit that I so carelessly tucked into my bed for the night, I clearly saw several dozen light lines of the "spontaneous" Ferry. And they didn't even think about disappearing. Moreover, as far as I understood the interweaving of the "pattern", some of them should have affected the work of the central nervous system. An arctic fox, just an arctic fox...

Chapter 109.

Everyone likes to quote the unforgettable Deidara — like, art is an explosion. I'm starting to share this point of view. Judge for yourself — this whole story with Shizuka, the Yokai gang and the ruined summer holidays began with the most banal procedure for destroying "ammunition". And it would be fine if it was caused by some kind of fighting or an accident. But no, it's his own fault. At first I did, then I thought "why". The result is, so to speak, on the face.