The gymnasium.
Outside the restroom at the far end of the second floor.
"Why aren't Kita-chan and Kitahara-kun back yet? I'm getting worried..."
Reiko paced back and forth anxiously.
"Calm down." Matsusaka crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "Kitahara-kun is incredibly capable; all we need to do right now is trust him."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Reiko's eyes shifted; she leaned forward slightly, looking over with curiosity.
"What is it?"
Matsusaka tilted her head, sounding puzzled.
"I remember that after we were forced to have those photos taken in the club room that day, you always referred to Kitahara-kun as 'that person'—you wouldn't even say his name." Reiko held up a finger and waved it gently in the air. "But just now, I heard it clearly: you've switched from calling him 'that person' to 'Kitahara-kun'."
"..."
Matsusaka realized her slip of the tongue; her face flushed hot instantly. Unable to meet Reiko's gaze, she tightened her expression and said:
"Ms. Kojima calls him 'Kitahara-kun' all the time. I heard it so often that I just let it slip out by accident... that's all."
"Is that really it?"
Reiko clearly didn't quite believe her:
"I get the feeling there's another reason..."
Matsusaka gritted her teeth, about to offer further explanation, when she suddenly heard a noise coming from the restroom.
Both girls turned their gaze toward the restroom and saw Kitahara appear out of thin air.
"It's Kitahara-kun!"
Reiko cheered aloud. "Kitahara-kun..." Matsusaka instinctively took half a step forward. Realizing she had made another slip of the tongue, she felt her face flush slightly and quickly corrected herself: "How is Kita-san doing?"
"Don't worry, Kita is fine now."
Kitahara ruffled the beast-ear girl's head and looked down at her:
"Hana, you go home first."
The beast-ear girl tilted her face up, asking for a reward: "Cupcake..."
Kitahara waved his hand grandly: "I'll buy you a hundred cupcakes when I get back."
Hana had played a pivotal role in successfully exorcising Kita this time, so she certainly deserved a good reward.
"Thank you, Dad."
Hana's eyes lit up; she happily slipped into the mirror and fast-traveled home.
The two girls were no longer surprised by such a magical sight; they simply kept asking about Kita's condition.
"Kitahara-san, if Kita-chan is okay, why didn't she come out with you?"
Reiko, the bespectacled girl, asked nervously; she was clearly still worried.
"Ahem..."
Kitahara gave a soft cough and offered a simplified explanation:
"The exorcism was a success, but the process was pretty exhausting. Kita is so tired she's fallen asleep. I'll let her come out to see you all once she's rested."
Kita had adamantly refused to let him continue using his blood for exorcisms, so Kitahara had no choice but to use his own body to perform the ritual instead.
Theoretically, Kita wasn't a complete novice; thanks to a bracelet, she had previously swapped bodies with the likes of Ryo and Nijika, and had even secretly joined the "shared fleet" on occasion. She possessed both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. However, this was her first time "driving the race car," so it was no surprise that she had eventually passed out from exhaustion.
Of course, while the process had been a bit convoluted, the outcome didn't disappoint—the Imposter Queen had been successfully exorcised and destroyed... Kitahara couldn't help but suspect that using his body was actually the correct way to utilize his "Exorcist" constitution.
"How many minutes have passed since I left?"
Kitahara asked, changing the subject. "Ten minutes," Matsusaka said softly. "It took exactly ten minutes or so from the moment you left until you returned... Ms. Kojima also said that you must contact her immediately after coming out."
"Understood."
Kitahara nodded slightly and sent a message to Ms. Kojima. Upon learning she was still in the safe room, he headed straight there with the two girls.
"Kitahara-kun, you're back?"
Kojima hurried over to meet them, asking about Kita with concern:
"How is Kita-san doing?"
"Don't worry, the danger has passed..."
Kitahara briefly explained the situation, his expression serious:
"There is a special kind of 'Imitator'—one that is virtually indistinguishable from a real human. They are terrifying."
Upon learning about the Imposter Queen, Ms. Kojima naturally became extremely vigilant; she quickly picked up the phone to coordinate with various departments. After finishing the call, she stepped forward and bowed, asking Kitahara to help identify other Imitators.
Kitahara readily agreed. As for the two student council girls and Reiko's mother, Kojima arranged for official personnel to look after them.
"Kitahara-kun, please remember to message me and Matsusaka-senpai once Kita-chan wakes up."
Reiko, the bespectacled girl, clasped her hands in front of her chest and made the request in a low voice.
"I'll make sure to do that," Kitahara nodded gently. "As soon as Kita wakes up, I'll have her message you right away."
Matsusaka added softly:
"Kitahara-kun, please be careful."
"Take care of yourselves. If anything seems amiss, tell the staff—or me—immediately."
Kitahara waved, then turned and left alongside Kojima.
The Imitators hadn't appeared long ago, but this area happened to be their stronghold. Having wiped out the Imitators in the gymnasium in one fell swoop, very few remained.
Yet, everyone remained on high alert, not daring to let their guard down for a moment.
The Imitators, with their fission-like method of spreading, were truly terrifying; if even a single one survived, it could potentially trigger a resurgence and escalate into a global catastrophe. "Kitahara-kun, please get in."
Kojima personally opened the car door, allowing Kitahara to enter first.
"Thank you."
Kitahara offered a polite word of thanks, then stooped to take a seat in the back.
With a police car clearing the way and traffic control measures in place, the convoy sped off without obstruction.
What followed was simple.
In the information age, surveillance cameras are everywhere, and mobile phones constantly collect user data; through big data analysis, tracking down the Impostors is an easy task.
Ten minutes later.
At a telecommunications customer service firm.
Everyone had been gathered in one place; the boss was wearing a ingratiating smile as he tried to glean information from the Bureau officials, while the employees whispered and murmured amongst themselves.
It is in the nature of Impostors to mimic human behavior down to the last detail; even though they sensed something was wrong, they didn't lash out immediately, choosing instead to try and blend in—which saved a great deal of trouble.
Clack, clack, clack.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of high heels, a group strode in briskly; leading them was none other than Kitahara.
"Kitahara-kun, I'm counting on you."
Kojima turned to look at him.
The other Bureau staff wore serious expressions, poised for action.
"Who is that guy?"
"He's wearing a high school uniform... surely he's just a high school student?"
"Strange—why is he walking in the lead position?"
Such an unusual sight naturally sparked a flurry of whispers and speculation among the bewildered employees.
Kitahara remained composed as he silently activated his ability, "Health Bar Warrior." As a faint warmth spread across his eyes, health bars appeared above everyone's heads.
"There are three of them." Kitahara raised his right hand and pointed into the crowd. "The bald middle-aged man with glasses, the female office worker with short hair, and that cleaning lady."
"Move in."
Kojima issued the order decisively, without a moment's hesitation.
The Bureau staff sprang into action to make the arrests. Realizing the situation had turned against them, the Impostors—who had been trying to blend in—finally dropped their disguises and launched a counterattack. Kitahara stood his ground, watching the telecommunications company descend into sudden chaos without the slightest intention of stepping in to help.
For one thing, his stockpile of "True Damage" was limited; he had to be frugal, or else they would run out quickly.
For another, reality wasn't a video game—killing the Imposters wouldn't yield any experience points—so he had absolutely no incentive to intervene.
Before long, all three Imposter employees had been subdued.
The Bureau was an official organization with impressive resources, after all; one of the female agents appeared to possess a "Taunt" ability. Once activated, the Imposter parasites would shriek in rage and burst out of their human hosts...
Thump.
Thump, thump.
With the parasites eliminated, the three unfortunate hosts collapsed limply to the floor, unconscious. As for the other employees, they were terrified into silence, not daring to make a sound.
"Let's go. On to the next location."
The team moved with swift efficiency, immediately turning to head outside.
As for the subsequent cleanup operations, others would naturally handle that.
Half an hour later.
Inside a nightclub.
Japan ambient lights flickered incessantly across the ceiling, yet the vast venue was eerily quiet. There was no deafening heavy metal music, nor were there throngs of people flailing wildly on the dance floor... The reason was simple: everyone was huddled on the ground, crouching with their hands over their heads.
Thud, thud, thud.
Kitahara walked into the bar, his gaze sweeping the room as he let out a soft, clicking sound of disapproval.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."
Compared to the workplaces where wage slaves engaged in cutthroat competition, the number of Imposters here was significantly higher.
After pointing out the Imposters to Kojima and exchanging a brief word, Kitahara turned toward the restroom:
"I'm going to the restroom; I'll be back in ten minutes."
Once inside the restroom, Kitahara's figure flickered and vanished into thin air.
In the onsen resort.
"Kitahara-kun, you're here?"
Kita had woken up at some point and was sitting at the stone table, resting her chin on her right hand in boredom. Upon seeing Kitahara appear, she stood up in delight and moved to greet him. "Mm..."
After taking just a couple of steps, Kita paused, her slender, dark brows knitting together involuntarily.
Although she possessed the stamina ability shared by Kitahara—and her energy had fully recovered to its peak after a good night's sleep—stamina and physical injuries are two different things; moving in a way that strained the wound still caused pain.
"Take it slow."
Kitahara quickly stepped forward and gathered Kita into his arms. Breathing in the girl's sweet, delicate fragrance, he spoke gently:
"It shouldn't hurt as much as before, right?"
"Not at all—it still hurts so much..."
Kita tilted her face up, gazing at him with a pitiful, pleading look.
In truth, the pain wasn't that severe, but she simply wanted to act spoiled and have Kitahara coddle her.
After crossing that final threshold and becoming his closest partner, she found she simply couldn't suppress the urge to be affectionate and clingy.
Kitahara understood this perfectly, of course, but he wasn't about to call her out on it.
"Does Kita want to drink the Panacea?"
"No way~" Kita's voice was soft and sweet, her cheeks puffing out slightly. "What if there's some weird side effect?"
She remembered all too well the time she'd curiously drunk the Panacea and ended up with the side effect of her bust growing larger—only to be thoroughly teased and "Taken advantage of" by Kitahara for it.
Kitahara produced the Chalice of Stars and Moon, looking the picture of earnestness:
"Hurry up and drink it. If a side effect does appear, I'll strip it away for you immediately—I promise I won't tease you."
Kita: "..."
Won't tease her?
That statement had absolutely zero credibility!
But still...
Kita hesitated for a moment, then took the Chalice of Stars and Moon, her face flushing pink:
"You have to keep your word, Kitahara-kun. No going back on it."
That lingering ache was truly unpleasant, and the Panacea would make it vanish quickly—plus, it wasn't a guarantee that she'd get a side effect, right?
"I promise I'll keep my word." Kitahara raised his right hand. "If I go back on it, I'm a puppy."
Kita: "..."
To swear an oath like that... it was obvious he was planning to go back on his word later!
"Hmph~"
Kita gave a soft hmph and tilted her head back to drink the Panacea. A cool sensation quietly flowed through her body, and the pain began to dissipate rapidly.
"It looks like there aren't any side effects..." Kita breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She tilted her face up to ask about the situation outside: "How are Reiko-chan and Matsusaka-senpai doing?"
"They're fine..."
Kitahara briefly explained the aftermath in the real world. "I'm just glad everyone's okay." Kita breathed a sigh of relief. "Didn't you have to go catch that 'Imposter,' Kitahara-kun? We should head out—I'll come with you. It's boring staying in the Hot Spring Realm all by myself."
"No rush." Kitahara's gaze was intense. "I asked Ms. Kojima for a ten-minute break."
"Huh?"
Kita blinked, and a flush rapidly spread across her face.
The time flow between the Hot Spring Realm and the real world was ten-to-one; ten minutes in reality meant nearly two hours here... Taking a break that long—he clearly had ulterior motives!
"Kitahara-kun, hurry up and get back to business." Kita covered her chest with her hands, her face bright red. "Stop filling your head with lewd thoughts!"
"It won't interfere with the mission." Kitahara pulled Kita onto his lap and began getting handsy. "Besides, given your combat prowess, Kita, you'd be lucky to last five minutes anyway."
"That's mean! You're underestimating me!"
"Want to put that to the test?"
"I don't want to..."
Even as she protested, Kita suddenly felt a sensation like ants crawling over her body—a tingling, numbing feeling; something was definitely off.
"Hey, wait—there are strange markings appearing on my stomach!"
Kita looked down to check and quickly spotted a peculiar pink pattern on her lower abdomen—one she had never seen before.
"What is this?"
"Could it be a side effect of drinking the Panacea?"
Kita quickly guessed the truth.
"That's right, it is a side effect." Kitahara's gaze dropped to her lower abdomen. "That's the Succubus [Bleep] Mark."
"W-Wait a second..." Kita's eyes widened. "What did you just say, Kitahara-kun?"
"You heard right." Kitahara smiled. "When Anon drank the Panacea, she got the Succubus Mark side effect too. So, Kita, you'd better hurry—otherwise, you'll be the one begging me later."
Kita: "..."