Vol. 4 Chapter 5 – Beyond Space and Time

“I am sorry, I cannot understand any of this.”

Ryousuke, who had finished treatment for his shoulder, sat on the sofa and shook his head from side to side. It had been about an hour since the fight with Galdabroeg and Mina’s abduction.

“That is why, even if you say we are going to the Shinigami World, it is not something we can just say 『okay』and immediately go.”

Lisara did not even try to hide her irritation.

“But the ones who took Mina disappeared instantly, did they not?”

He recalled the moment Mina and Galdabroeg vanished from the park. The two of them had sunk into the ground and disappeared completely.

And Galdabroeg himself had said it: the Shinigami World.

“Did they not go to the Shinigami World?”

“I do not think that was directly the Shinigami World.”

Lisara quietly denied it.

“What do you mean?”

“In other words, Ryousuke-san.”

Kyuru, who had been tinkering with some device, cut into the conversation.

“Those people first teleported somewhere within the Human World.”

“Somewhere in the Human World?”

“Yes. That was a teleportation formula. If it is the Human World, it stays within the Human World. If it is the Shinigami World, it stays within the Shinigami World. It is a spell that can only move within the same world. Well, more importantly…”

Kyuru let out a weary sigh.

“It is certain that this is the work of a fairly large Shinigami organization. You cannot even imagine how much Spirit Money is required to create a teleportation formula of that scale.”

“What do you mean?”

Ryousuke’s question was answered by Lisara.

“It means Galdabroeg had some kind of organization behind him.”

“That seems to be the case. And I believe Mina-san was taken from that organization’s hideout, then through a gate connecting the Shinigami World and the Human World, she was carried off to the Shinigami World. Well, if what Galdabroeg said is true.”

“I see…”

Ryousuke nodded, then looked at Lisara.

“Then let’s hurry to the Restall family branch and use that gate thing to go to the Shinigami World.”

“…We cannot.”

Lisara shook her head.

“Why not….”

Standing up too quickly, Ryousuke grabbed his shoulder.

“If it is just Kyuru and me, we can use the Restall gate. But Ryousuke… you definitely intend to come with us, right?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then we cannot use it. Unless there is an official reason, we cannot bring a human into the Shinigami World.”

“Are you kidding me? Mina was kidnapped. If that is not an official reason, then what is!”

“But that still does not qualify as an official reason for you to go to the Shinigami World. It is true that Galdabroeg said they were after you, but that alone will not get approval.”

“…So you two are planning to go without me?”

“You really are hopeless.”

Lisara gave a slightly bitter smile.

“Do you think I do not understand your personality?”

“Huh?”

“If we cannot use the official gate, then we just use an unofficial one. Did you forget the fact that I came to the Human World through a completely unofficial method?”

Lisara winked and called Kyuru.

“I know. You want me to find a point, right? I have been scanning for one since a while ago.”

Kyuru peered into a device that looked like a one-seg… no, more like a smartphone.

“A point?”

“Accidental contact points that form between the Shinigami World and the Human World. If we set up a temporary gate at such a point, we can travel back and forth between the Shinigami World and the Human World.”

Lisara answered while brushing her long hair back.

“But the lifespan of a point is short, and once it appears, it will not show up again in the same area unless time has passed. It would be nice if one happened to be nearby right now, but…”

“That worry seems unnecessary, onee-sama.”

“You found one!?”

“Yes, I found one. Look.”

Kyuru held the device up for Ryousuke and Lisara to see.

“There is a point that has formed close by. However, since some time has already passed since its appearance, based on the readings it will probably disappear in about an hour.”

“Tell me that sooner!!”

While listening to Lisara’s scream, Ryousuke was thinking about what Galdabroeg had said regarding his soul.

Power equal to the Five of the Old Ones… what could that even mean?

Saving Mina was a given, but that mystery was also one more reason he had to go to the Shinigami World.

※ ※ ※

“There should be a point on the second floor here… in Room 201.”

Looking at a Shinigami device shaped like a smartphone, Kyuru glanced toward the building in front of them.

It was unmistakably over thirty years old, a two-story wooden apartment building that looked completely worn out. Despite being in a bright part of town, this spot alone felt strangely gloomy and desolate…

“U… um, I wonder if the person will just let us into their room normally.”

“Use spirit. Use spirit.”

Giving an answer completely detached from common sense, Lisara marched forward boldly like she was collecting debt.

As they climbed the stairs, cheap metallic clang clang clang sounds echoed, and the second-floor hallway creaked with frightening gishi gishi noises.

“It is just as worn-out as it looks…”

Kyuru looked around the apartment with great interest.

“What kind of person would live in a dump like this?”

“Kyuru, do not stare that much…”

“But it is so fascinating. Look, the washing machines are all outside.”

Sure enough, every room had its washing machine placed outside.

“Why do they not put them inside?”

“Because the rooms are tiny, obviously.”

“I see. Being poor must be difficult.”

If one of the residents heard that, they would absolutely get angry…

“Okay, Room 201 should be the one, right?”

Lisara stopped at the room on the far end.

“That is correct. As soon as you enter the entrance, the point should be open on the left side.”

“Got it.”

Nodding, Lisara pressed the doorbell without hesitation.

A few seconds passed──

“Too slow!”

Lisara pressed the doorbell again.

“Give them a moment!”

“We do not have time!”

She pressed it again.

“Hey, hey… homeowner, sorry about this…”

Just as Ryousuke apologized, heavy footsteps thudded from inside.

Then a long silence.

“What is taking them so long?”

“They are probably peeking from inside. If you ring the bell that many times, of course they will think we are suspicious.”

“S… sorry for that!”

As Lisara pouted her lips, the door creaked open and the resident peeked out.

“Um, Lisara Restall-san… what business do you have at my house?”

It was Paoi Malbec, wearing a tracksuit, looking slightly frightened.

“M… Malbec-sensei!? Why are you here!”

“Why… you ask… um, this is my home.”

Looking bewildered, Malbec answered Lisara.

“Melro really gives very thin pay, does it not…”

Kyuru said this, and Malbec did not deny it; her shoulders dropped.

“Uu… I cannot help it. We are a new rising organization… wait, did you come here to inspect my living conditions? A… ahhh, could it be… is this headhunting? Finally, finally I will be freed from that extremely vile, cruel boss and step onto the path of elite happiness!”

“That is not it.”

Denied mercilessly by Lisara, Malbec froze.

“…Kyuru, how much time is left!”

“Five minutes at most.”

Hearing Kyuru’s answer, Lisara grabbed Malbec’s shoulders.

“There is a point in this house right now. Mina was kidnapped. We are going to the Shinigami World. We are in a hurry. Let us through!”

Her pressure left no room for refusal. Malbec could only answer『y… yes』as Lisara, Kyuru, Ryousuke, and… Caesar all thundered inside.

“Immediately left, right!”

“Yes, left.”

“It should be behind this door.”

Right after the entrance, there was a door to the left.

“Listen, Ryousuke, Caesar. I will open the gate using the formula, so do not hesitate, just jump in.”

“What does a gate look like?”

“Visually, the space glows and distorts. If there is something inside it, that thing will distort as well, so it might be a little scary.”

“No, leave it to me. For Mina’s sake, I cannot afford to talk about fear.”

“Fufu, that is exactly like you, Ryousuke.”

Smiling, Lisara placed her hand on the doorknob.

“Wai… wait, Lisara-san, that lock is broken so please—!”

Gachari.

Malbec’s warning was in vain as the door swung open.

“《Guardian of the Bridge Heimdall》, grant us permission to travel to the Shinigami World!”

“Let’s go, Caesar.”

“Wan!”

“Kyaaaaaaaa!?”

Lisara’s spell, Ryousuke and Caesar’s battle cry, and a mysterious scream all erupted at almost the same moment.

They jumped inside, and Ryousuke froze.

“…Eh, eh, wha, wha… you guys, what are you doing hereaaaah!?”

Iria was there.

Sitting.

On a Western-style toilet.

“This is a toilet!?”

“Ryousuke, I told you we do not have time!”

He was pushed from behind. But the distorted space was right in the middle of the toilet…

“Aah, geez, just jump already!”

“Eh, wait, but it is a toilet… and Iria is right there… u, uwaaaaa!?”

“Noooooo, do not come heeeeeere!”

Seeing Ryousuke’s head falling right between her legs, Iria panicked and instinctively stood up to escape. Gakun. She was pulled downward.

“Fue?”

Ryousuke’s head had gotten caught in her panties.

“No waaaaaaaaaaay!?”

“Hurry, get in!”

Shoved by Lisara, Ryousuke fell, and Iria was dragged into the toilet space along with him…

“Wan…”

It goes without saying that Caesar calmly entered the gate afterward, without a hint of panic.

※ ※ ※

Lisara, who had been pacing irritably, stopped and flicked her eyebrow upward with a sharp twitch.

“You lost track of Ryousuke’s coordinates?”

It was a spacious, luxurious room with a single glass table.

Much larger than Malbec’s living space.

“Yes. He fell while struggling with Iria, did he not? We were not expecting Iria to be there at all, so it seems the designated coordinates became distorted.”

Sitting comfortably in a familiar chair, Kyuru let out a sigh.

She rang the small bell on the desk with a chirin sound.

A maid entered, as if waiting for the signal, and prepared tea for the two of them.

“Iria is fine. There is no Shinigami who would be troubled by ending up in the Shinigami World.”

Sitting down, Lisara took a sip of the tea the maid had poured.

“It has already been ten minutes since we returned to this room. We do not have much time.”

“Indeed. By now, news that we returned should be reaching aunt’s ears.”

“Mother is fine. I can talk my way out of anything with her. More importantly…”

“Yes, Ryousuke-san and Caesar are not Shinigami. They are beings who should not naturally exist in this world. They can remain here for a short time due to the influence of passing through the gate, but…”

Kyuru stroked Caesar’s fur gently and murmured:

“《Existence Bond Raise》.”

A faint light surrounded Caesar, assimilating him into this world as a proper existence.

“If we do not hurry, Ryousuke… in another hour he will be forcibly returned to the Human World. And to that toilet!”

※ ※ ※

“N… nn?”

His consciousness returned.

He had been shoved into a toilet──

“This definitely is not a toilet.”

Ryousuke was wrapped in something warm and soft.

“…A fluffy bed?”

It was a luxurious, silky, high-quality bed wrapped in smooth sheets.

“There is no way this is a dream. My bed is way more rundown.”

He tried to raise his head, and something soft pressed him down with a mugyu.

“──mghhhhhh!?”

He panicked and thrashed around. The more he struggled, the tighter the hold became. He could barely breathe. Something incredibly soft and warm was smothering his face!

‘Wait… this is…’

He tried moving his head around.

“Ahhn.”

A seductive voice drifted down.

He touched it with both hands.

“Aaahn.”

An even more seductive voice came out.

This is… breasts?

And judging by the weight… F-cup?

“Nnnuu…”

The owner of the breasts finally released Ryousuke.

“…..Araa.”

It was an adult woman with slightly reddish chestnut-colored hair. Her nose bridge was elegant and straight, but her eyes were slightly droopy, and her lips were full. She looked exactly like a sensual, glamorous onee-sama.

And she was wearing a light pink negligee. Her breasts were unbelievably full, overflowing with an overwhelming, almost three-dimensional force that seemed ready to burst forward.

“Good morning.”

Still half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes and bowed. Her breasts shook with a buuuuun.

“G… good morning.”

He almost got a nosebleed.

“Please wait a moment.”

With a gentle smile, the woman stood up from the futon and rang a bell resting near the pillow.

At once the door opened, and several maids filed into the room.

“Uh…”

Ryousuke, completely confused, watched as the woman smiled sweetly and addressed the maids.

“Um, a pervert wearing panties on his head came crawling into my bed during the night.”

The maids all reacted at once with excitement and alarm.

“Eh, panties?”

He touched his head. Something was there.

He removed it.

…It was Iria’s panties.

Yes, the freshly removed panties he failed to obtain during the Lisara incident.

“The timing is just too terrible!”

“To think a pervert would come crawling in wearing panties on his head… these days a proper pervert even wears a clear mark to show he is a pervert. Admirable, really.”

“No, no, that is wrong, that is absolutely wrong──────!”

And thus began Ryousuke’s truly disgraceful debut in the Shinigami World…

Afterword

Thank you very much for picking up this book.

Somehow this time, only three months after volume three, we are delivering volume four. It feels like a lie. Even a person who spends his days drinking can experience miracles like this. Work is wonderful!

That was a lie.

It was painful.

I want to cry.

I want to play.

Jokes aside, thanks to your support, we have been able to continue all the way to volume four. This is all thanks to everyone who has been reading. Truly, thank you very much.

Now, changing the subject, there is something I absolutely must address.

To the many people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in March 2011, I offer my deepest sympathies and support. The disaster struck right in the middle of working on this volume, and as various information came in, I could not help worrying. No, even now I am still worried.

It is small, but I did participate in donations. However, as someone whose job is to write and release stories, I believe that giving readers something that helps them forget their troubles and enjoy themselves is another form of support.

From here on as well, for those in the affected areas and for all those whose hearts are hurting because of this disaster, I want to continue working hard so that I can give them something fun, something that will make them smile and think『this is so silly』.

Stay strong, Japan. We are cheering for you, Tohoku.

This has become a rather serious afterword, but yes, I am writing this on the day of the afterword deadline again. Is there not a beautiful secretary somewhere who will manage my schedule for me? Someone who looks great in glasses and fishnet stockings. Of course no such person exists, so I will do my best on my own…

I hope I can release volume five as soon as possible. With that, I will end the afterword.

Let us all do our best!

Tachibana Pan

‘Tohoku (東北) is the name of a large region in the northeastern part of Japan’s main island, Honshu.’