ch261-ch280 · 268-ch268
Chapter 268: The Blood-Sucking Girl 【Nishino Miki】 Part 2
SIDE: Nishino Miki (the girl with the 【Blood Suck】 special skill)
"Ah—Kasugano Haruki, was it."
A few days into summer break. Coco-sis brought me along to the Chiba Dungeon, and there I met a boy my own age.
(How......)
Why did I think that......
"Eh? Hey, Haruki, hold up...... What's with her?"
Even after he dashed off, my gaze kept chasing his back.
(How...... how does he look so DELICIOUS......)
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"Hina-chan....... Could I ask you for it today?"
"Eh? That's rare—you asking ME. Well, I'm happy and all...... but after today's adventuring, okay? I can't move afterward, you know."
Because I'd met a thing like THAT......
It was settled that we'd work at Mia-san's shop on the Chiba Dungeon side, and after our workplace for after summer break was safely decided—"well, we're in Chiba already, so might as well"—we borrowed weapons from the shop and took on the Chiba Dungeon.
Coco-sis and Mia-san had gone out drinking, and we were told to just leave the weapons at the Association counter......
"Ah, Hina-chan! There's a goblin! Huh? And over there too......"
"Whoa, there is! But there's nobody around, huh?"
Coco-sis said Chiba was better for beginners—yet Floor 2 is bereft of beginners.
While I'm puzzling over that, Hina-chan cuts the goblins down one by one.
"Yes! Maybe even WE can earn money in the Chiba Dungeon!"
Against goblins, even I can manage a fight.
In this dungeon, grinding Floor 2 goblins might pay far better than taking on hobgoblins.
"Hey, Miki. What about goblin blood? Want a taste?"
"Eh? No way. It's blue, you know? And it smells weird......"
Hina-chan holds out her blood-dripping sword to me.
"I licked my own blood too, and it didn't taste good or anything. So maybe for you, even goblin blood tastes good? C'mon? Let's try it!"
That's a horrible thing to say, but there's a logic to it.
So I found myself thinking......
I sweep my tongue over the blue blood on the blade......
It was awful. It was truly, truly awful.
If only I'd confined myself to one drop on a fingertip......
"Bleeeeeeegh. Ptoo, ptoo. Wa-water...... blegh."
"Auful" doesn't begin to cover it!
Fishy, stinking—the taste won't leave my tongue, the smell won't leave my nose!
"Eh? Eh? I didn't bring any...... I'll go buy some!...... Huh?"
She starts to run for Floor 1, and I grab her arm to stop her.
This isn't headquarters—if she left me here, I'd be in trouble.
And besides......
"I need to fix the taste in my mouth."
Still gripping Hina-chan's left hand with one hand, I roll up my sleeve with the other.
Two painful-looking holes near her elbow.
Since I bite the same spot every time, there are only two.
"Ow. Wait, you're strong. I said after adventuring...... at least let me use the toilet first! Okay? My arm, it hurts......"
I can't be gripping that hard, yet she's whimpering quite a bit.
But if she hated it, she could shake me off, couldn't she?
"I can't stand it anymore. And it doesn't really bother you either, does it? 【Blood Suck】......"
"Please! Really, just the toilet! Right there is fine, just let me...... Ah......, pl......"
She seemed about to resist, but the instant my lengthened canines slid into the holes, her voice died too.
(SOOOOO GOOOOOD—!!)
Why is it this delicious?
And it's hot!
My tongue and throat might scald!
The goblin taste from before is blasted clean away.
With a little slurp.
"Mgh......"
Hina-chan sways and sags into me.
Did I overdo it again?
"Aaah, well."
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"DAMMIT!"
Hina-chan smashes the head of the hobgoblin she tripped up with 【Digging】.
"You're on a roll today, Hina-chan. Did you level up?"
"I told you I'm not talkin' to you anymore......"
I've made her angry, apparently.
"I'm sorry...... I'll never do it without your permission again, so forgive me, okay?"
"......【Status】....... It didn't go up."
Still angry, huh.
Maybe if I offer her a side dish from dinner, she'll forgive me?
After that we rested topside once, then came back down and pushed to Floor 5.
The Chiba Dungeon is an incredible money-maker.
Not having to hunt for monsters is SO much easier—I know that much now.
"Hina-chan, time's up. We've got to head back."
But time has run out.
Our next day off from the beach house job is a week away again.
And "money-maker" is only relative to the headquarters dungeon.
The beach house pays over 10,000 yen a day—split between the two of us, no contest.
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"Ugh......"
Awful.
Whatever I eat, it's awful. Not tasty.
There were days before when I couldn't eat dinner after using 【Blood Suck】......
But it's been days since then, and it shows no sign of going back to normal.
Should I force it down anyway, today too......
"Hey, Miki. Today, right? You can do it today? Are you still mad about last time? I won't squirm or anything, so please......"
Strange is one thing, but Hina-chan has gotten strange too.
She's started BEGGING me to drink her blood every day.
Even though she knows it stops me from eating.
I'm hungry......
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"Miki-chan, you've gotten so pretty, haven't you? How about it? Won't you keep working here after summer break? Of course I mean after graduation too. You could stay as long as you like, you know?"
Last day of summer break.
Last day of the beach house job.
The manager talks to me about my future.
I'm well aware I've become pretty.
People always said I'd be cute if I lost weight—but that losing it because I couldn't eat should end in THIS is ironic.
I get called out to a lot during my shifts now.
When I started, it was Hina-chan who got all the attention—now I get more of it than she does.
A little taste of superiority......
"Get away from Miki! Hand over her pay, right now! I'm never coming back here again!"
Hina-chan has started flying into a fury at any man who calls out to me.
Jealousy, maybe?
"Hina, stop."
"Ah—yeah. S-sorry."
At some point, our positions had reversed.
It used to be that Hina decided everything and I simply followed.
But now, just as you see—she may rage, but she never defies me.
She's putty in my hands.
Does she want her blood drunk that badly?
Starting tomorrow, my new part-time job at the Chiba Dungeon.
He's there...... that one......
I saw him several times when we went to help Mia-san move, and he still looked delicious......
Sluuurp......
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"You two, get some food in ya. Soushi made enough for everybody, so don't hold back."
Mia-san is a wonderful person—she looks after us in all sorts of ways.
The pay is unbelievable.
And though she's tiny, she hoists heavy luggage like it's nothing—she must be a really strong adventurer.
A Triple-Rank adventurer, apparently.
Nothing like Coco-sis.
That woman has a man she likes in her party, apparently—she never comes to help.
And all she gives me are her hand-me-down clothes, which don't even fit.
"Lucky~. I'll help."
Hina volunteers to help.
Well, the more she eats, the more blood she can make for me, after all.
Fine, I'll play along—a bite or two, while sniffing THAT one's scent......
"Then I'll see Haruki-san to the door."
Eh? He's leaving?
"See you tomorrow. Bye-bye."
I work up my courage and call out to him.
My very best smile.
Huh? I got GLARED at...... hard.
What's with that woman?
His girlfriend?
I see......
"Then, everyone, good work today. Digging in!"
"Digging in—thanks for the food!"
Mia-san leads us into the meal.
Fine, I'll endure a bite or two.
......, ......, ...eh?
"It's delicious......"
"What IS this! Soushi, you're amazing! It's so good. Huh? Miki, what'd you just say?"
I can't believe it.
It's far, far better than Hina's blood!
I dig in, obsessed.
"Ah-hah-hah, well, yeah, that happens. Here, have some of mine too—go on."
Mia-san, you're a wonderful person!
Thank goodness—it's cured!