Chapter 20: Unpaid Overtime Boss

"What should we do next?"

Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the curse spirit stumbling towards them with a troubled expression.

Although the enemy in front of them didn't seem very strong, its disgusting appearance made it hard to muster the will to attack. Moreover, they had no weapons, which meant they had to fight the enemy barehanded.

"Run away?"

Hikigaya Hachiman joked. Like Yukinoshita, he had to overcome the psychological hurdle of punching a monster covered in tumors.

While they hesitated, the enemy didn't stop moving.

The curse spirit instinctively wandered towards the two sources of curse energy it sensed. Suddenly, its stumbling movements paused, as if it had found a target within its detection range. It changed from its previous zombie-like slow and stiff movements and charged at them, shouting hoarsely.

"Sa...lary!!!"

Its lifeless eyes suddenly lit up, like a salted fish suddenly having a dream, running towards a bright future while drooling.

"What do we look like to this guy? A bunch of banknotes!?"

Hikigaya Hachiman loudly complained, as if to boost his own courage.

Although the curse spirit looked weak, and indeed was weak compared to the curse spirit that attacked Yukinoshita Yukino at home for the first time, when such a non-human-looking monster charged at you with its mouth full of sharp teeth, the first reaction was a subconscious panic.

Yukinoshita Yukino took two steps back, hesitating as if thinking about something.

Hikigaya Hachiman stepped forward, despite previously saying Yukinoshita should take the lead, his actions were completely opposite.

The curse spirit howled and charged, only five meters away from them.

At this moment, Hayashizaki sighed.

*Sigh!*

With a sigh full of disappointment echoing in her mind, Yukinoshita Yukino's mind went blank.

Time seemed to freeze, and memories wrapped in bubbles flashed through her mind.

"Think more about the nature of curse energy, and you'll understand why you failed earlier. Truly mastering curse energy isn't easy, but you're much better than Yukinoshita, who hasn't succeeded yet."

"Anyway, you can take back control of your body anytime, what are you afraid of? Hesitation won't get you anywhere!"

"Tsk tsk, in the end, you still rely on others."

"Yuki-chan, who habitually relies on others, is really cute~"

"Yukino, if you have any demands, say them openly. What kind of behavior is this hesitation!? You are a daughter of the Yukinoshita family!"

Hayashizaki's words, her sister's words, her mother's words, all pierced her heart like arrows.

Am I really that useless?

Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was about to pass Yukinoshita Yukino, she suddenly moved.

Don't run away, move forward!

Maybe it's true, just like Hayashizaki, my sister, and my mother said, I'm a girl who easily gets upset, hesitates in many things, and relies on others.

But it's okay, I've accepted my weakness, and now I just need to change.

I can't accept Hayashizaki's sigh of disappointment, my sister's words about my dependence on others, or my mother's judgment of my weakness.

At the core, I don't want to disappoint myself!

Move forward! Face the ugly monster charging at me!

Fight! Then win! Make the parasite take back that sigh of disappointment!

What the girl lacks is not the strength to defeat the enemy, but a little bit of courage to face the enemy without fear.

I remember Hayashizaki once said that my body has gradually moved beyond the level of ordinary humans, reaching a higher realm. At that time, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't fully understand what this meant.

But now she understands.

So slow.

After gathering the courage to fight, the world in her eyes seemed to change, and the movements of the curse spirit appeared to slow down countless times, clearly visible.

The girl's movements were much faster than the curse spirit's. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance of less than five meters. The curse spirit swung its sharp claws at Yukinoshita Yukino, its dark blue pupils reflecting its black, shiny nails.

Seeing that Yukinoshita was about to be disfigured by the curse spirit's attack, Hikigaya Hachiman's pupils suddenly shrank, his heart skipped a beat, and he shouted anxiously,

"Hey! Yukinoshita... ah?"

Before she could raise her voice to warn her, she saw her dive and dodge the cursed spirit's attack. The movement was not a standard boxing move, but a completely instinctive reaction from her body, and the spell spirit's claw strike almost grazed the top of Yukinoshita's head, which made Hikigaya Hachiman's heart flutter in fear.

After dodging the cursed spirit's attack, it was naturally time to counterattack.

Yukinoshita Yukino didn't use the moves from Aikido that her mother had taught her, but instead threw a flat, straight punch that was simple and straightforward.

Twisting his body to close his fist, he threw a punch.

The fist wrapped in greenish-blue spell power slammed into the spell spirit's fish-headed head, the blade of the fist sinking deep into the soft flesh, even as those large eyes bulged out.

The wet and slippery disgusting touch came through her skin, but the young girl didn't care too much about it, because her brain was already filled with an uninhibited pleasure, as if all the negative emotions were infused into this punch, and when she punched out, her body and body felt much more relaxed.

The curse spirit was directly knocked away, rolling on the ground twice before hitting the wall heavily. Dark purple blood burst out from its body, splattering on the cement wall like a blooming flower.

"Huh?"

Hikigaya Hachiman's mouth dropped open in disbelief,

"Is it over just like that?"

Did Lord Hayashizaki come out to fight?

However, the second pair of eyes, which symbolized Hayashizaki's possession, did not open. Although it was hard to believe, Hikigaya Hachiman had to admit that the move just now was made by Yukinoshita Yukino herself.

Yukinoshita Yukino, who had thrown the punch, was panting, her chest rising and falling, not from exhaustion, but from the excitement in her heart. A smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

Could it be that Yukinoshita is actually someone who admires strength?

Seeing the smile on her face, Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't help but wonder. It seems that not only Hayashizaki, but even Yukinoshita herself shouldn't be offended.

'How about it?' 

Yukinoshita Yukino, who had successfully defeated the cursed spirit, said in her heart, 

'Can you take back that sigh from earlier, Mr. Parasite?'

Hayashizaki snorted twice without saying anything, and Yukinoshita didn't mind, assuming he was just being stubborn and unwilling to praise her.

"Looks like it's over."

Seeing that the fish-like cursed spirit hadn't moved for a while, Yukinoshita Yukino turned around, flicked her hair, and smiled,

"I've taken care of your kind. I hope you don't get too down because of it."

"How could I?"

Hikigaya Hachiman squinted and retorted,

"Since the cursed spirit has been exorcised, can we leave now?"

As Hayashizaki said, the third-level cursed spirit was indeed very weak... or was it?

"Hey... stay... work overtime? Overtime... unpaid..."

Suddenly, a big hole was broken in the ceiling, and an ugly big head emerged from it.

Just like in classic novel scenes, the flag that was just planted was immediately taken back.

...

...

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