kscans

Chapter 70 - The 530,000 Worldly Desires

Just as Ooyama-san had said, the factory was bustling with activity.

Some people were welding what looked like iron pipes to some mysterious metal. The sparks were intense.

Over there, they were using a file... was that right? They were pressing metal against a moving belt-like machine to polish it.

"Walk along the wall. It's dangerous."

"Ah, okay."

"Right-o!"

I stopped looking around the factory and focused on following Ooyama-san. When I occasionally made eye contact with a factory worker and gave a small nod, they would nod back.

When we arrived at her workspace, which I had been to before, Ooyama-san turned to me and glanced at the bag in my hand.

"Is that the 'Byakuren' you mentioned?"

"Ah, yes. I'll assemble it now."

I placed the Boston bag on the floor and began to take out Byakuren, which was separated into its torso and limbs.

The bag was described as extra-large, so it was convenient to be able to fit everything in one.

"...How can you carry such a heavy load with one hand?"

"I think anyone could, once their level is high enough."

I answered Ooyama-san while assembling the golem, then poured my mana into it to make it stand on its own.

Byakuren stood upright in standby mode, and I had to admit, it was a pretty good piece of work.

Overall, it resembled a werewolf from a tokusatsu show. I'd made parts of it look like a mecha or a figurine, and painted it black and navy blue. The mask over its mouth and its glass twin eyes gave it a robot anime vibe.

Erina-san said it looked like a ninja, but I was going to put it in knight's armor. I wouldn't budge on that.

"...The details are different, but the overall structure is the same as Mokuren's. I have the data you sent beforehand, so I should just need to make a few adjustments to the one I've already made."

"Thank you very much."

"So. Since you were willing to accept 'something I made' as a condition for the exchange with Mokuren instead of an existing item, you're going to use your hair and nails as materials for this guy's armor too, right?"

"Yes. Please."

Most of the requests that production skill users like Ooyama-san receive are for 'weapons.'

Apparently, you don't get much experience for defeating monsters with existing weapons, but it's a different story with mana-infused ones. That's why dungeon-sourced metals are often brought to her.

But armor is different. Normally, people don't fight with shields or gauntlets as their main weapon. Only those with that type of Arcane Gear commission craftsmen.

Above all, it's cheaper and, 'with some exceptions,' sturdier to use an existing bulletproof vest than to mix in dungeon-sourced metals.

So, why would someone like me go out of their way to order armor from a production skill user? It's either 'to grant it a skill' or 'to ensure it doesn't interfere with the wearer's skills.'

In Byakuren's case, it's both.

"Alright. I'm going to cut your nails, so give me your hand."

"Huh? No, I'll cut them myself... If you need them now, I can go buy some clippers at the convenience store over there."

"Shut up. It's better if I do it to make sure I collect all the material."

"Oh, come on..."

Ooyama-san's eyes were dead serious. Why was she so obsessed with my nails?

"You don't understand your own value. Listen up, Yagawa. You're a walking gold mine. Or maybe a silver mine."

"Could you at least compare me to a living thing, like a goose that lays golden eggs...?"

"You're a gold mine that won't run out until you die of old age."

"Are you listening?"

"Sit."

"Yes, ma'am..."

It didn't seem like arguing would get me anywhere, so I sat down in the chair she pointed to.

Come to think of it, the person who would usually step in around now was nowhere to be seen.

"Um, where is Busujima-san today?"

"Ā-chan's at cram school today!"

"Ah, I see."

There was no salvation, it seemed.

While I was thinking that, Ooyama-san brought a desk and chair in front of me.

"Okay, I'm going to cut them, so don't move a muscle."

"...I really should do it myself, right here."

"Silence. I won't waste even a single millimeter."

"Yes, ma'am..."

Seriously, your eyes are scary!

Resigning myself to my fate, I offered my right hand. Ooyama-san grabbed my wrist and guided it over a brand-new ashtray.

Then, she touched my fingers.

Contrary to her blunt way of speaking, her touch was exceptionally gentle. She supported my fingers as if she were handling something fragile.

Her fingertips were a little harder than Erina-san's, but I could still feel her warmth...

"Hey."

"Y-Yes?"

"Stop shaking. I can't cut them."

"S-Sorry...!"

Thinking about it calmly, having my nails cut by a girl my age... or rather, any non-relative of the opposite sex, is so embarrassing!

The mask of my work mode shattered, and my ears burned with shame.

My fingers started trembling like an alcoholic I'd once seen on TV, and Ooyama-san clicked her tongue.

"I-I'm so sorry!!"

"No problem at all!"

Why was Erina-san answering?

"This is annoying. If this is how it's gonna be, I'll use force."

"Huh?"

Wait, you're not going to rip my nails off completely or nail my palm to the desk, are you?! Even if they regenerate, I still feel pain, you know!

I reflexively tried to pull my arm back, but my Spirit Eye caught her movement, and I froze.

—Squish...

"Alright, I can cut them like this."

My... arm... was... pinned... in her armpit.

Just as I thought she had turned her back to me, Ooyama-san had clamped my right forearm in her armpit. The plan, it seemed, was to hold my fingers with that hand and cut my nails with her free left hand.

Which meant that the side of her large, despite her short stature, breasts—her sideboob—was pressed firmly against my arm.

Soooo soft?! Ah, but there's a nice firmness too...

Wait, what is she doing?!

"Erina. You're not busy, are you? Hold Yagawa's shoulders down."

"Aye, aye, sir!"

And with that, instead of stopping her friend's bizarre behavior, Erina-san joined in. She firmly gripped my shoulders from behind.

Because I was sitting, her huge chest was now at a distance where it was almost touching the back of my head!

"Customer, your shoulders are... not stiff at all! Do you do stretches, Kyouta-chan?"

"N-No, not particularly... That's not the point, what are you—?!"

"That's great, Kyouta-chan! Flexibility is essential for a ninja!"

"I'm not a ninja. A-And more importantly! You two are too close! Especially you, Ooyama-san!"

"I'm just putting my hands on your shoulders!"

"Don't shout in my ear, it's annoying."

"And O-Ooyama-san, your... your chest is touching me...!"

"Huh? ...Oh. Don't worry about it. I don't mind."

"But I do!!"

I could feel the tips of the hair on the back of my head slightly brushing against Erina-san's chest. Of course, I couldn't feel anything from that alone, but just the presence of it being so close was making my brain go haywire.

And then there was the even greater impact of Ooyama-san's sideboob. Since my arm was held firmly, I could feel it pressed against me quite clearly.

Ah, this is not good! This is not good, ladies! Please, value yourselves more!

By the way, we are currently not accepting questions such as, 'Can't you break free from them?' Due to various circumstances, it is impossible for me to move. Please understand that standing up from this chair is out of the question.

Even as I composed a bizarre response in my mind, reality remained unchanged. With a series of snips and snaps, my nails were being cut.

And I was sandwiched between the sensation and presence of breasts. This was the most important thing. Was there any information more important than this? No, there was not.

"...Your nails are as tough as the rest of you. Even with these special clippers, it takes a lot of force. How do you usually cut them?"

"Y-Yesh... um, with commercially available clippers infused with wind, by force..."

"I bet you've broken a few pairs of clippers, haven't you? And just as I thought. With a method like that, I doubt you're collecting all the nail clippings properly."

"I'm sorry."

I didn't even know what I was saying. My brain's resources were focused on the back of my head and my right forearm.

"Shī-chan, your ears are red. Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine, so shut up."

"Okay."

So Ooyama-san is embarrassed too? Then let's just stop this!

Can't you hear it?! The sound of my reason being ground down by an electric sander!!

Of course you can't! It's all in my head!!

"Alright. Right hand is done. Left hand next."

"...Yesh."

I covered my face with my freed right hand and offered my left, leaning forward slightly.

The pleasant scent of shampoo wafted from Ooyama-san's head, which was now a little closer.

...If it comes to it, I'll punch myself in the jaw. That's the only solution I can think of.

If I deployed my Arcane Gear, a blow from my gauntlet should be enough to knock out even my ridiculously sturdy body in one hit. There's no armor on my jaw.

To avoid social death, I secretly resolved myself to self-harm.

...No, that's probably impossible, isn't it? A full-swing punch to myself is just too scary.

"I'm bored, so I'll give you a shoulder massage. Not that you need it."

"Mmph... Erina, don't shake Yagawa."

"Sorry!"

Was this heaven or hell? Considering the part where I was being kept alive but tortured, it was probably just barely hell.

But it was the kind of hell that would make you want to come back even after being released, so maybe it was a subspecies of an antlion pit.

Stop...! At this rate, I'm going to fall for Ooyama-san...!

*

Finally, the nail-clipping of my left hand seemed to be over. With both hands freed, I covered my face and doubled over.

Partly, I wanted to hide my bright red face from the shame, but due to a certain physiological phenomenon, I couldn't straighten my back right now.

"Yagawa. Your toenails too."

"Anything but that... I'm begging you, please spare me just that...!"

If I had to go through that ordeal one more time, I was sure something irreversible would happen.

In my mind, a devil was saying, 'Go on, let her do it☆,' and an angel was saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply☆,' but my reason is made of orichalcum!

...Wait, the angel is an enemy too?!

"...Fine. But if they get too long, tell me."

"Um... I'll cut them myself, so could I buy those special clippers from you, Ooyama-san?"

"No. I'll cut your nails. And I'll preserve them. I'll even pay you a reward when I use them as materials. You can pay me back when you're successful."

"Just... do whatever you want...!"

Somehow, I managed to hold back from saying that this was reward enough, as it would probably count as sexual harassment.

"Kyouta-chan."

Erina-san, who had been gripping my shoulders and radiating the presence of her chest from point-blank range, came around to my side.

Through the gaps in my fingers, I looked at her.

"Right now, Kyouta-chan, you look like a sexy kunoichi captured by the enemy!"

"Shut up...!"

What are you giving me a thumbs-up for? For a second, I seriously considered cracking your head open.

But I couldn't. Damn, she's still so pretty...!

"Also, Shī-chan's mom has been standing there the whole time. I wonder what's up."

" "

For a moment, the whites of my eyes showed, but I forced my pupils back into place with sheer willpower. I had to face reality.

At Erina-san's comment, a woman in her forties walked in with a tray, smiling wryly.

"Oh, sorry about that. Your father told me to 'go see if they're doing anything weird,' so I came to bring you some snacks."

"What are you talking about, Dad...?"

Ooyama-san shot a glare somewhere in the factory.

I think you were doing something weird. Mostly you.

"It's been a while, Erina-chan. And you must be the famous Yagawa-kun?"

"It's been a while, Mama-san!!"

"H-Hello..."

Next to the energetically greeting Erina-san, I slowly stood up and bowed my head.

...Alright. My son seems to have read the room.

That aside, what did she mean by 'famous'?

"I'll leave the tea and snacks here, so make yourselves at home. My, my, Shizuku, you really are bold. And Erina-chan, I heard you went to an all-girls school until junior high? You shouldn't tease boys too much, okay?"

"Wha? I'm not teasing Kyouta-chan!"

"I only did what was necessary."

"Ah..."

Ooyama-san's mother was looking at me with pity in her eyes.

You understand, don't you?

"Well, do your best, okay? Getting pregnant as a student is tough. A friend of mine back in the day went through that..."

"Mom?!"

" "

No, you don't understand at all, do you?

Ignoring me, who had frozen solid, Ooyama-san, now blushing, pushed her mother's back and tried to usher her out of the workspace.

"Don't say such weird things. It's not like that between me and Yagawa! I don't know about Erina, but he's... him, so it's probably not that either."

"'Him.' Right, a ninja!"

"Be quiet."

"Whimper..."

Even though she was pushing her, she wasn't using much force, and her mother just smiled wryly.

"Yes, yes. I'll leave you young ones to it. I'll just tell your father something vague."

"Shut up! Thanks for the tea and snacks, but don't say anything else unnecessary!"

"Well then, enjoy yourselves~"

After seeing her mother out from behind the curtain, Ooyama-san was breathing heavily.

"Really... what is she even saying...?"

"But Shī-chan."

"What is it?"

"You're aware that you were doing something pretty bold, aren't you? Your face was red."

"...!"

Wow. She's as red as her hair.

When she does that, it makes my face get hot again.

"...Sit down, Yagawa. I'll comb your hair."

"Y-Yes..."

With her glaring at me with slightly teary eyes, I couldn't argue and sat back down.

"Erina. The armor is where your shuriken were the other day. Go get it."

"Okay!"

After Erina-san walked off, Ooyama-san moved behind me and started running a comb through my hair.

"...It's annoyingly silky."

"Th-Thanks...?"

Having my hair combed by someone of the opposite sex... it had been a long time, probably since my mother did it when I was young.

I remembered that lately, my whole body had become so tough that when I went to the barber the other day, they couldn't cut my hair.

In the end, I used my Arcane Gear's knife to cut it myself.

"...It's messy all over. I bet you cut it yourself, didn't you?"

"You can tell? I did save it to be used as material later, but..."

"Yeah. Even I can tell that much. No matter how uncharming I am."

"...?"

Uncharming? Who? Could it be, from the context, that she was talking about herself?

"Sorry about earlier. It probably wasn't a very pleasant experience for you."

"No, it felt goo—I mean, it's nothing."

Oops. I almost made a sexually harassing comment.

"...Well, I know I'm on the bigger side. But I'm rough around the edges, and I know I'm not the type to be popular. I'm not dazzling like Erina, or graceful like Aika."

"No, I think that's just a difference in type... I think you're a very attractive woman, Ooyama-san."

Somehow managing to get back into work mode, I told her my honest opinion.

"And I think you should stop putting yourself down like that, you'll make a lot of enemies. Most of the girls in our class would come after you with cleavers."

"What kind of existence are girls in your mind?"

"...Demons?"

Okay, cleavers might have been an exaggeration, but... they just give off a bloodthirsty vibe.

Among guys, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and there's insidious bullying, but with girls, it's even more vicious... or something like that.

It might be a stereotype, but that's what I personally think.

"Well... if you, with your discerning eye, say so, I might just believe you."

"...It's true that my eye has become more discerning lately. But for you to say that, Ooyama-san..."

Erina-san, Aira-san, Miyoshi-san, Busujima-san, and Ooyama-san.

The women I've met recently have been ridiculously attractive. They say Awakened are often beautiful, but this is enough to skew my standards.

And when I watch TV, I see elf beauties on Aira-san's level here and there, so Japan is pretty amazing right now.

...Could Ooyama-san's low self-esteem be because of that?

"Are you hitting on me?"

"N-No!"

"I know. We haven't known each other long, but you don't have the guts for that."

"...Yeah."

It was true, but it was still a little sad to have it stated so bluntly.

With the slow, rhythmic feel of the comb, my eyelids started to get heavy.

"Hey, Yagawa."

"Yeah...?"

"What do you think of Aika?"

"Huh?"

Why suddenly bring up Busujima-san? Did I miss something because I was drowsy?

I couldn't see Ooyama-san's expression behind me, but her voice was quiet, yet strangely serious.

"I know you're not afraid of her. Well, you seem wary of girls as a category, but you don't see her as an individual that way, do you?"

"Well, I guess... yes."

"Keep it that way."

"...Okay."

I couldn't quite get it. What was she trying to say?

"Her family is afraid of her."

And then she just dropped that bombshell.

"When she became an Awakened and they learned about her curse powers, Aika's family started calling her a monster. From a non-Awakened's perspective, a curse is a terrifying magic."

"...I guess that might be true."

I'd heard a rumor that a curse that would only make an Awakened feel a little heavy could be fatal to a non-Awakened.

I thought she was just a chuunibyou, but if her family was involved... maybe she was a chuunibyou with a reason.

"Even now, she keeps her distance from her family. They live in the same house, but they barely even see each other."

"...Wouldn't that just make them more suspicious of each other?"

"Maybe."

A scornful laugh came from behind me.

"She's not the type to hurt people without a reason. But they're making up their own reasons and getting scared on their own. They're a real nuisance."

"...But I can understand how they feel, just a little."

"...Maybe."

If I were a non-Awakened, I might have been afraid of Busujima-san too.

The only reason I could hold these negative feelings towards her family was because I knew I was safe.

My body couldn't be killed by her curse, so I could calmly judge her based on her personality... I think.

"Anyway, that's all. She's clumsy in her own way, so just keep treating her like you always do."

"...I thought you didn't like sob stories?"

"Shut up."

She poked the top of my head with the comb. It didn't hurt, but it tickled.

"Sorry for the wait! I brought it!"

"Thanks. Appreciate it."

After the energetically returning Erina-san joined us, we discussed the armor for Byakuren and then parted ways for the day.

As I walked to the bus stop with the self-proclaimed ninja, I reflected a little on the day's events.

The Matango dungeon might have been depleted. The feeling of breasts pressed against me. The feeling of breasts right behind my head. The fact that Erina-san came from an all-girls school. The fact that Busujima-san was a chuunibyou with a reason. The feeling of breasts pressed against my forearm. The feeling of breasts that were almost touching the hair on the back of my head. The fact that Ooyama-san underestimated her own face and breasts. Breasts are soft.

...Yeah.

It felt like the memory of breasts was pushing out all other memories. A soft yet pleasantly firm resistance. That was one sensation I would never forget.

"What's wrong, Kyouta-chan? Staring up at the sky."

"Oh, just a little mental conditioning."

"?"

Worldly desires are dangerous. That thought was renewed in my mind.

I kind of wish they'd ring the New Year's Eve bell for me right now. But I have a feeling that wouldn't work.

In the first place, I can't believe humans only have 108 desires. There have to be at least 530,000.