I Was Reincarnated as a Nameless Combatant in a Japanese-style Fantasy Depressive Erotic Game, but the Women Around Me Are All Dangerous, and I Have a Bad Feeling about It

th these words, I advance forward and catch a glimpse of the figure just beyond the puddle.

 

　”Huh…!”

 

　In a sense, I couldn't help but frown.
It was because the other party was so horrifying to me.

 

　It was more like a fisherman.
Its head had no plate.
But according to the story, some individuals had plates on their heads and some did not.

 

　Its whole body was the color of young grass, and it was covered with something like mucus.
It had large yellow eyes and a fish-like gill was visible at its throat.
I also saw a hand with a water-scraper on it and what looked like a small tail.
It looked more like a tadpole than a fish.

 

　Although that alone would have been creepy, I was used to it.
I have seen so many horrible-looking youkai in my life.
This is no big deal.

 

　The problem is…
that the individual was halfway there.
It's too late for that.

 

　'Aghh…
Ki…
Ki…
Kikiki!!'

 

　The kappa wobbles and wanders forward, but the skin color of some parts of its body is that of a human.
Its skin was burnt by poisonous gas.
Above all, its face still had human ears and a nose stuck to it, and one side of its eye was definitely human.
If I took a closer look, I could recognize the face and expression of a kappa when it was human, and yet it was too late to tell that it was clearly a kappa…
It was surrounded by servants and was being checked with a spear.

 

　”Haa~…
haa~…
hey, don't run so fast! Huh!?”

 

　The boy who catches up from behind, out of breath, lets out a small scream when he realizes the presence in front of him.

 

　'Kiki…!?'

 

　At the same time, the half-dead kappa sees the boy's figure, and his presence clearly changes.
The weak spiritual power of the servants did not seem to be able to move the kappa, but it seemed to be a different story when it was a child with a strong spiritual power like Shirowakamaru's.
So, the next moment, the kappa began to run toward the boy, paying no attention to the spears around it.

 

　”Shoot the bow…!!”

 

　I said, and immediately some servants behind me fired their bows.
But the kappa does not stop running even when arrows pierce its belly and shoulders.
The kappa literally runs through the crowd as if it were running into them.

 

　”Tsk, next arrow….
we can't make it in time!?”

 

　I see my men rushing to ready their next bows, but I immediately realize that they won't make it in time.

 

　”Aaaaah…!?”

 

　It was a sudden situation, and there was no way I could make a quick decision with a boy who had never been in a violent situation before.
The boy stands there cowering, unable to move, and panics.
The kappa opens its fangs and leaps at Shirowakamaru…

 

　”No hard feelings, but die quickly…!”

 

　I immediately slammed the hilt of my spear into the kappa's face.
The kappa recoiled in pain, and I thrust the spear through its jaw toward its brain.

 

　'Kii…!?'

 

　The kappa let out a small cry before the sure fatal blow, and fell down with a slap of its hand.
Just to be sure, I gave it another thrust to the throat to stop it.

 

　”That was close…”

 

　I muttered as I pulled out my spear.
Shirowakamaru is a guest in my custody.
If he were eaten by a kappa or turned into one of them, I would be responsible.
I was the one who brought him here…
but I had not expected his reaction=.

 

　(And there is still a problem with his skill level…)

 

　Even though it takes more time to learn to use a bow than a sword or a spear…
the boy still has a problem with his skill level.
It's my fault for mobilizing some of those who are not fully trained yet because we don't have enough manpower.

 

　”Hey, hey, this is a problem, Yun-shoku.
We're taking a valuable individual in the process of transformation…
Sh*t.
Oh well.
I'll get a specimen of this one next.”

 

　The researchers come up behind us through the crowd and begin to swarm around the specimen we've just killed, whispering to each other.
I took one look at them and thought to myself.

 

　”Well done.
…And is that a group of stray/defective ones?”

 

　I shift my gaze from the researchers to the surroundings and see a group of stray/defected exorcists.
To be precise, they seemed to be a mixture of those with spiritual powers and those without, and they were laughing at the weakened kappa and committing mass executions of them.
In fact, they even pissed on the corpses.

 

　”Ugh…
they look like bandits!”

 

　Shirowakamaru's face twisted into a blatant scowl in the face of this vile act.
The temple and shrine where he had been taken in were also a little bit different, but it was probably not as vulgar as this.
At any rate, they must have tried to mend the situation.
However, the essence of the temple and shrine must have been repaired at least.
Anyway…

 

　”Don't make eye contact.
You'll end up in trouble.”

 

　I warned Shirowakamaru as I came to his side.
However, I am a little late.
A man who was already wearing an eye patch, who seemed to be the leader of the group, looked at the boy with a lecherous smile on his face.

 

　”Hey, hey, since when did this become a temple school? This is not a place for little girls, is it?”

 

　The leader of the group comes in with a few subordinates, smiling and laughing.
Immediately I move forward with the boy behind me.
If anything, a few of his men were holding up weapons.

 

　”You were hired by this raiding party, weren't you? I apologize on behalf of my men.”

 

　I apologize in a casual, obligatory manner.
It doesn't matter if I show sincerity.
It's just a push for a cause.

 

　”Blah, blah, blah…
We're hired by the Miyataka family.
And you're…
Kizuki? It seems the young lady over there doesn't like the way we work.”

　”I'm a man!”

 

　Shirowakamaru seemed to react almost reflexively to the mocking tone of the leader.
And for a moment, the leaders rolled their eyes, but then they smiled vulgarly as if they knew what he meant.

 

　”Oh, oh, so that's how it is.
Kizuki's family seems to treat you well, huh? We'd like to be invited to their house too.”

　”You must appeal directly to the main family.
We don't have that authority.”

　”Ha! You sound like a government official.”

 

　The leader dismisses the provocation obligingly and spits it out in a displeased tone.
If anything, he actually spits phlegm on the ground.

 

　”What are you doing, you people!?”

 

　A voice suddenly echoes, and I look over to see a figure coming toward me, bow in hand…
It was Kizuki Ayaka, who noticed the commotion and was coming toward me.

 

　”…are you the owners of these animals? You have a pretty face that looks like you don't know much about hard work.
But…”

 

　The leader falls silent after saying that.
He stares at me in silence.

 

　”Well then.
I don't want to interrupt a good time to make some money.
Just make a fool out of it.”

 

　The leader of the group looks at me and the angry boy behind me, sniffs, and walks away.

 

　”…Don't stare at people so much.
Don't cause too much trouble.”

 

　I turn around and warn the boy.

 

　”B-but…!”

　”No but.
Think about your surroundings.”

 

　I glare at him and Shirowakamaru falls silent.
He was not happy.
I understand how he feels…
but I can't help but pay attention to him from my point of view.
Did he hate me, or what?

 

　”Well, what do we do now?”

 

　Then, I thought about what excuses I would make to Kizuki's archer who had come to me.

 

* * *

 

　The total number of kappa killed in the cleanup operation that day, excluding those killed by poison gas, was about 800.
On the other hand, the loss of the raid team consisted of five exorcists and sixteen servants dispatched from various families.
It was fortunate that none of Kizuki's men were killed.

 

　However, I was soon to learn that this was only the beginning of this hellish expedition that would result in many casualties…