Chapter 8: Traces of Yukinoshita's Mother
An impression of a cold and aloof girl suddenly turning into a… a howling mess—was honestly a terrifying thing.
It was like watching someone go through a time-travel transformation right before your eyes.
Hikigaya admitted he was startled.
In comparison, Yukinoshita Yukino had cried for almost a full hour, nearly losing her voice in the process.
She had completely exhausted her strength; afterward, she lay limply on the couch, only able to breathe faintly.
It was truly pitiful.
Looking at her staring at him blankly with eyes filled with hopeful light, Hikigaya—who wouldn't flinch even in the face of gods—felt inexplicably guilty.
Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He gently stroked Yukino's forehead and said:
"Sleep. Just get some rest."
"No… I want to…" Yukino opened her mouth but could only get a few words out.
Because the next moment, an irresistible wave of drowsiness overwhelmed her consciousness, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Then Hikigaya picked her up, went upstairs to his room, laid her flat on his bed, and pulled the blanket over her.
She would have to eat later—there was no way she could do so right now.
At the same time, Hikigaya felt a growing displeasure—those people from the Seishuin were going too far.
Ever since becoming a godslayer and witnessing the hidden side of this world, Hikigaya had come to deeply understand the massive disparity between ordinary people and those like magicians.
The latter's power made it nearly impossible for the former to resist effectively.
And it wasn't just about individual capability.
Although supernatural individuals made up less than one percent of the total population and contributed relatively little to social productivity, they controlled a disproportionately large share of political power and social resources.
This imbalance was thanks to shameless politicians and the general ignorance of the public.
Clearly, the secrecy of the magical world wasn't for protection—it was for control.
Even though Hikigaya stood at the top of that magical hierarchy, he had never truly seen himself as part of it.
After all, he was a transmigrator. He simply couldn't see magicians and ordinary people as different species—he sincerely thought they were the same. Just natives of this world.
So he never saw the magicians' dominance over ordinary people as justifiable. In fact, if the affected party was someone he knew, he found it downright disgusting.
Take the current situation with Yukinoshita—it was revolting how the Seishuin handled it.
Leaving his room, Hikigaya saw Komachi looking at him with great curiosity.
"That was fast!" she said with a look that clearly meant "You chickened out," but her tone was filled with delight. "So, what kind of girl does Onii-chan actually like?"
"All you think about is love. Study, you silly little sister." Hikigaya clicked his tongue. "Besides, I'm not into girls with no meat on their bones."
Finally, he had called her "silly little sister"—a long-standing wish fulfilled. But seeing her get more and more ditzy did worry him as a brother.
If he weren't so preoccupied, he would've given her a proper lecture.
"All right, I'm heading out for a bit. Keep an eye on her for me. You're both girls after all."
With that, he slipped out.
Shamefully, when it came to verbal sparring, he really wasn't a match for his little sister…
After walking a few steps outside, he suddenly ducked into a deserted alley.
"Someone show themselves," he said as he entered.
Then—whoosh!—a whole group of people appeared.
They were all dressed in black, looking like stalkers, and their first move upon appearing was to glare furiously at their companions.
What a bunch of uncoordinated idiots…
Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder: Why is it that everyone around him is such a clown? It was becoming a real source of concern lately.
"Hachiman-sama," came a voice. The victor of the group's silent eye war was a petite girl.
She was somewhat cute, but her chest… tragically flat. Even worse than Yukinoshita Yukino.
Still, judging by her figure, she might be the "healthy and fertile" type popular in rural areas. Maybe after having a kid, she'd fill out.
"Tell me about Yukinoshita's situation," Hikigaya said.
"Yes."
The flat-chested girl nodded and began recounting the story.
She was surprisingly articulate—no filler, all plot, with dramatic highs and lows.
She even vividly described the sudden death of the Yukinoshita congressman and gave it a poor review...
Hikigaya personally thought that last part was unnecessary.
Have some respect for the dead, you venomous, flat-chested girl!
But after hearing the whole thing, he had to admit—the Yukinoshita couple had been quite the schemers.
Instead of having affairs with just one or two, they actually "shopped around" like they were comparing brands!
Where did they even get the confidence…? And why did they think he had feelings for their daughter when he had nothing to do with them?
With that kind of imagination, they really should be writing novels instead of working as politicians.
"All right, I get the gist. So tell me—which families were behind the attack?"
Hikigaya rubbed his temples.
The Yukinoshita family was finished.
They'd offended three out of the four major houses, yet only one person—Yukinoshita's father—had died. That was practically a model of restraint and harmony.
But the low death toll meant one thing: from now on, they'd be living as truly ordinary people.
Hikigaya understood this kind of unspoken rule very well—the magician community was full of backstabbing snakes. That's exactly why Yomi martial artists looked down on them.
Those warriors would kill their enemies cleanly and mercifully.
Not like those perverse magicians who pretended to be civilized while torturing their enemies behind a polite facade.
It was disgusting.
"The ones who acted were Yukinoshita's political enemies. The leader was a congressman named Arakaki."
"What's the situation now?"
"After your return to Chiba, the Seishuin began cleaning up. Aside from Arakaki, the others have all lost their positions due to various charges."
"So the new acting leader is Arakaki?"
"Yes. His performance in this incident was the most outstanding. The others were used as examples to promote Seishuin's righteousness."
Right. Let a pack of hyenas take down a traitor, then swoop in like a boss and kill the hyenas yourself. Very noble.
"Damn, it's practically a test-taking system…" Hikigaya muttered helplessly. "What about Yukinoshita's mother and Haruno?"
"After you returned to Chiba, they became safe. Everyone has pulled back. Congressman Arakaki even offered to protect them. Yukinoshita's mother is staying at Arakaki's home, and Haruno is under Seishuin's protection."
"Oh?" Hikigaya rubbed his chin. "Where does this Arakaki guy live?"
"She lives at…" The flat-chested girl reported the address.
Memorizing the location, Hikigaya waved his hand, and the girl—along with the rest—bowed and melted back into the darkness.