Chapter - 3

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Chapter - 3: Yuragi-sou

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Sakura Matou POV

[Ding!]

[Demon Lord joined the chat!]

The new notification made me flinch slightly: the nickname chosen by the chat for the new member was quite intimidating, very different from the usual ones, which often seemed more like jokes or ways to tease the members.

Even my own nickname had an ironic tone, practically broadcasting my obvious obsession with Senpai to everyone—but that... that was another story.

Ever since that notification had appeared, an unsettling sense of familiarity lingered around me, like a cold shiver running down my spine, impossible to ignore.

I kept wondering what it could mean, but no answer seemed satisfying.

That mysterious blue screen had appeared suddenly, like a spark in the darkness, right when I was once again drowning in the pit of insects that consumed my sanity. All I could do was cling to thoughts of my Senpai to endure it.

I couldn't forget the words that had pushed me to accept the invitation:

Do you want to keep living as a tool? No? Then accept this invitation and change your destiny, so you can live free and happy with the person you love!

I knew accepting meant crossing into the unknown, but that promise of freedom was too tempting to let slip through my fingers, especially when it was right within my grasp.

I couldn't help but recall how, the moment I accepted, I was greeted by a series of flashing messages telling me I had become the administrator of a Dimensional Chat Group.

Only a few days later would I fully understand what I had agreed to. It allowed me to communicate with people from different universes, opening the doors to extraordinary possibilities, but also to responsibilities I had yet to comprehend.

[Congratulations, all invitations have been successfully accepted...]

"So there won't be any new members for now," I muttered quietly, as my mind wandered between doubts and curiosity, since honestly, I couldn't fully grasp the main goal of this Chat.

Suddenly, another message appeared before me:

[As the administrator of the Chat Group, you will receive a package of privileges as all members have accepted the invitations you sent!]

[• A random ability or item from other worlds, which will immediately be compatible with the administrator's energy system since this is the first time they are receiving a power from the chat group]

"A starting package?" As I stared at the screen, stunned, it seemed like something really important. "Might as well give it a try..." I murmured, my heart pounding with a certain expectation.

Could this really be my chance? This "bonus" could give me the necessary advantage to survive, maybe even a way that would allow me to be useful and not just a burden to others.

I hesitated for a moment, reflecting on these options. Powers from other worlds were intriguing, but there was the risk of not being able to utilize them without paying the proper price. On the other hand, something already compatible could be immediately useful to me.

[The gift has been sent. Open it now.]

With a surge of excitement, I clicked on "Open." A red box appeared before me, floating for a moment in the air before exploding into a shower of bright fireworks.

I covered my eyes, startled by the intensity, and when I reopened them, I saw another system notification before my eyes:

[Congratulations, Administrator, you have obtained: The Cursed Technique: Ten Shadows Technique]

A flood of information began to overwhelm my mind. I could feel pieces of knowledge pushing their way inside me, as if someone else's understanding was merging with my consciousness.

I looked down, lost in my thoughts, now it was all clear, as if I had always known how to use this new source of energy along with this cursed technique.

Cursed Energy? From the information in my mind, it was clear that cursed energy is born from negativity and suffering... To be more precise, it is formed from our negative emotions, and the more we understand suffering/cursed energy, the closer we come to freeing ourselves from it and its limitations.

An impulse drove me to immediately test the power I had just acquired. I raised my hand before me, watching as a dark purple flame began to envelop my fist. I was surprised by how natural it felt to manipulate it.

The energy swirled around my hand with the ease of a breath, as if it had always been a part of me. It seemed that I even had a certain talent for handling this energy, which didn't surprise me considering everything I had endured up until now.

"Divine Dogs," I said, forming the hand sign necessary, as I had learned from the knowledge passed down by the technique. To my surprise, I saw two figures emerge from my shadow: two dogs, one black and one white, staring at me with intense eyes.

They seemed even larger than I remembered from the fragments of memory the technique had given me. That was a good thing, right? I wasn't sure, but as I looked at those imposing dogs, I felt protected, as if they were there to support and defend me.

Without thinking too much, I knelt down and reached out to them. Perhaps sensing my intentions, the divine dogs cautiously approached me, and then, almost in response, began licking my face.

I couldn't help but giggle, surprised by their sweetness, and a genuine smile appeared on my lips as I gently stroked them, for they were simply too cute not to.

It had been a long time since I'd felt such simple joy, and as I watched them, for a moment I felt almost normal, like an ordinary girl. But that thought lasted only an instant, before the reality of my life pulled me back.

[Interlude]

Saigou Homura POV

"We're home!" Sagiri and I said in unison as we entered a large hot spring inn.

Yuragi-sou is practically an abandoned place, since most people believe it is haunted by a vile ghost that scares off any potential tenants, except for us, as we weren't ordinary beings.

To be clearer, I found myself living in the place where, according to a certain anime, the protagonist was supposed to reside, as it was an affordable and cheap place. However, with my arrival, it seemed like things had changed, but I still didn't know how much, since he was important enough for the world's plot.

Although I didn't remember exactly my past life, I was pretty sure that the last thing I would have ever imagined was finding myself in a world that wasn't so different from one out of an ecchi and harem anime.

However, in a way, it was better this way. I could honestly end up in much worse situations, as at least here there was a bit of "action" in its own way, and that would spare me from deadly boredom.

"What, you're back already? Dinner isn't ready yet," said a girl, no older than thirteen, who appeared in front of us as soon as we entered the inn.

She had brown bobbed hair and light brown eyes tinged with amber. She wore an orange kimono with a white apron over it, giving her the appearance of a little housewife, if not for her young, delicate face.

In reality, she was much older than she looked, practically a "loli" with a youthful appearance. She was the innkeeper of Yuragi-sou, and her name was Chitose Nakai—someone you'd never want to make angry if you wanted to continue living in peace.

[Picture ---> Chitose Nakai]

"Sagiri has done nothing but bother me about the lessons I keep skipping. So we made a bet on who would get home first," I replied in a detached tone, scrolling through a selfie I had just taken on my phone.

"And I won," she said triumphantly, looking at me with a satisfied smile. "Now you won't be able to skip lessons for your own pleasure or boredom!"

"Sorry, my dear ninja, but I'm afraid I won," I countered, showing a slight smile of defiance.

She froze, confused, and before she could protest, I showed her the phone with the picture: a clear image of my foot beyond the threshold of the entrance, just a few seconds before she arrived.

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious, and crossed her arms with a skeptical look. "When would you have had the time to take a picture, then?"

I simply smiled, amused, and answered calmly, "For someone like me, who moves at cosmic speed three, it was easy to do."

Her gaze hardened, and I could almost see her gritting her teeth in frustration. "Cosmic speed three, huh?" she repeated, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're still messing with me, aren't you?"

I shrugged indifferently. "Not my fault you got beaten. Maybe you should put more effort into your 'chuuma ninja' training."

She shook her head, muttering something about my insolence, but in the end, she had no choice but to accept defeat, though reluctantly. Unfortunately for her, I wasn't finished teasing her yet.

"So, since I won, I get to choose what you do, right, Sagiri?" I said with a satisfied smile that spread across my lips, already relishing the moment.

"Nothing perverted!" she snapped back, her face reddening with embarrassment. She instinctively covered her generous chest with her arms, unaware that, in doing so, she only drew more of my attention to her.

"But look, I didn't say anything perverted," I replied with an ironic tone, watching her as she covered herself. "If that's the first thing that comes to your mind, then maybe I was right. You're the one with the mischievous thoughts, huh, Sagiri~?"

Her eyes widened as she realized my implication, and the blush deepened as she clenched her fists. "Saigou Homura!" she shouted furiously, pulling out two kunai from her sleeves, glaring at me with a look that promised trouble. "You'll pay for insulting me like that!" She seemed determined to back up her words with action.

I stood still, a provocative smile on my face, as if nothing could touch me. But before Saigiri could act, I felt two delicate arms wrap around me from behind and a familiar weight on my head. A cheerful laugh rang out above me.

"Yahoo~ Looks like you two are having fun as usual!" exclaimed a lively voice, and immediately I felt a warm embrace at my back. "I have to admit, you're really cute together!"

Looking up, I saw a slender, graceful figure watching us with eyes sparkling with amusement. Her long pink hair was tousled in a charming way, framing her soft features and mischievous gaze.

Her deep, lively green eyes held a small diamond-shaped symbol on her forehead, which immediately reminded me of a certain mature woman with blonde hair who liked to gamble.

She was wearing a large T-shirt that fell softly over her body, leaving her large breasts and black bra on display, and wearing nothing to cover her panties, which inevitably drew my gaze.

I realized I had been staring at her a bit too long and quickly looked away, clearing my throat. "Yo, Nonko. How was work today?" I tried to steer the conversation back to safer ground.

[Picture ---> Arahabaki Nonko]

She flashed a mischievous smile, leaning against me with her usual nonchalant attitude, letting her body radiate an almost natural sensuality. "Oh, you know... I need a bit of inspiration for my next manga," she said with a tone full of innuendo, looking at me with a sly grin.

"I'm sure you'll manage, after all, you're amazing at your work," I replied, keeping a neutral expression and deliberately ignoring her attempt to tease me. I noticed that my unamused attitude caused her to pout slightly, but I didn't let myself get caught up in it.

"Don't let that pervert go!" Sagiri interrupted, barging into the conversation angrily. She gripped her kunai tightly in her hands, and her threatening gaze was fixed directly on me. "Today, he's going to face a punishment for his behavior!"

Nonko, watching the scene with amusement, stepped closer with a sly grin. "Oh, I didn't think you were into kinks like that, Sagiri," she said with a broad smile.

"N-N-No, that's not it!" Sagiri stammered, her face turning bright red all the way to her ears. Her embarrassment was so obvious that her determination seemed to evaporate in an instant, and her warrior-like demeanor crumbled in the face of the teasing.

I seized the opportunity to tease her further. "I knew it, you were aiming for my virginity, Sagiri!" I exclaimed, pretending to be shocked and theatrically placing a hand over my chest.

"V-V-I'm telling you, it's not like that!" Sagiri shouted, flustered and even more embarrassed.

Suddenly, another voice was heard from behind Nonko. "Yaya is back," announced a girl with short green hair, stepping forward with a curious smile. She had golden, gleaming eyes that resembled those of a cat, and she watched the scene with clear interest.

She wore a purple long-sleeved sweatshirt, purple sexy shorts that clearly showed the biggest caretteristics which was her big round bubbly ass.

[Picture ---> Yaya Fushiguro]

Yaya approached me with feline steps and a relaxed gaze, coming within inches of my face and leaning slightly forward. She looked at me with those golden, sparkling eyes, clearly expecting something. After a moment, I realized: she wanted me to pet her head, just like you would a cat.

As I began to do so, she closed her eyes and started purring, a low, continuous sound that resonated in the silence. For some reason, the purring awakened thoughts in me that weren't exactly pure, but I tried to ignore them, maintaining my composure.

"Yaya, where's Yuuna?" I asked, trying to distract myself from those thoughts. But just then, I felt a very strong spiritual presence quickly approaching. I had all the time to react, but I chose to stay still, knowing exactly who it was.

A moment later, I was shoved forcefully and found myself on the ground. In front of me appeared a girl, her expression visibly flustered, or at least she was trying to look that way, unaware that it only made her more adorable.

Yuuna had long white hair that fell gently around her, framing her ethereal face, while her red eyes fixed on me with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. She was wearing her usual yukata from the hot springs, an outfit that seemed designed to accentuate her seductive curves, giving her an irresistible aura that reminded me of a true succubus.

[Picture ---> Yunohana Yuuna]

"Saigou... Why did you leave me alone this morning?" Yuuna snapped with a sad tone. "You promised we would go to school together."

I sighed, remembering what had happened that morning. "Yuuna, when I woke up, you were already back in my bed, curled up in a rather compromising position," I replied, rolling my eyes at the absurdity of the situation. "That's why, as punishment, I left you here to play with Yaya."

Yuuna lowered her gaze, clearly upset. "I'm sorry, Saigou... I didn't mean to put you in a difficult situation," she mumbled, nervously wringing her hands in front of her.

Her guilty expression was disarming. "It's fine," I finally said, accepting her apology with a light smile. "But next time, try to behave better."

Meanwhile, Yaya kept purring, comfortably resting on me, completely unaware of the tension in the air. Nonko, on the other hand, watched the scene with an amused smile before bursting into laughter. "Ah, Homura, look at you! Surrounded by girls wherever you turn... tough life, huh?" she said with a sarcastic tone, clearly teasing me.

Yeah, this is my new life... as the protagonist of a harem, I thought sarcastically, trying not to be overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation.

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Marvel: I'm Spider-Man in this Damn Reincarnation: 3 advanced chapters

Osmosian Sorcerer?: 3 advanced chapters

Son of Li Qiye?: 3 advanced chapters

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Chapter - 13: A Dragon Rises - Chapter - 14: Symbionte - Chapter - 15: White Tiger 

 Chapter - 16: Demon Sorcerers - Chapter - 17: Onmyoji - Chapter - 18: The Power of Bao 

 Chapter - 7: Hobby - Chapter - 8: New Hunt - Chapter - 9: Past unknown

On the other hand, if you want to see something specific in the next chapters, or even just have some good advice for the story as a whole, I am always willing to read a comment if it is constructive criticism.

If you see any mistakes, I would be grateful if you would point them out to me, so that I can correct them when I have some spare time, and make the story as complete as possible for myself and especially for you.

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