Chapter 268: Derau~
<span> I had a dream.<span> I dreamed of angels. But how did I know it was an angel?<span> Because they had beautiful white wings.<span>『udia, it’s almost time for salvation. Have faith in me<span>』<span> I nodded to the angel who told me that.<span> There’s no way I can doubt it.<span>『Trust your <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">sister<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Ane</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span>. Save her. Don’t ever abandon her<span>』<span> That’s a strange thing to say, I thought.<span> I’m the one who’s being held captive.
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<span><span>『The <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">devil<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Akuma</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span> is trying to feed you something. Making you sip your sister’s blood and once you’ve sipped it, you’ll fall under the devil’s control. Then there’s no way to save you<span>』<span> I don’t know what that means.<span> But God gives us trials.<span> The words of the Bible are always difficult to understand, and the true meaning is shown behind the haze, to be grasped by one’s own will.<span> After I thought that, I open my eyes, sit up and ruminate on the dream I just had.<span> The dream is swept away into the depth of oblivion as my consciousness awakens.<span> This is a dream that must never be forgotten. It should be.<span> I must imprint it on my consciousness, ruminate on it, and find its true meaning. It must be a clue to my salvation. It has to be.<span> At the same time as I remember what I dreamt, the memory ofst night just before I fell asleepes back to me.<span>(Huh? What’s with this memory?<span>)<span> I can’t help but frown at the inexplicable feeling of difort.<span>(No… maybe I just feel that way because it’s too unrealistic, that’s all<span>)Last night, just before I fell asleep, I heard my <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">sister’s<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Onee-chan</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span> voice directly in my eardrums.<span>『udia! Now, I’m talking to you, with the help of the angel. I’m almost here! Don’t give up! They’ll take advantage of your kindness. Never show mercy to the devil!<span>』<span> Sister’s voice, angel’s dream.<span> She’s almost there. That’s all I can think of.<span> And it ignited a spark of hope in my frail heart.<span>(It doesn’t matter if Fumio disgraces the angel. But, My God! My Angels! I will not abandon the righteous!<span>)<span> I prayed in my heart. Then, almost as soon as I looked up, the door opened and <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">Centipede’s<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Mukade</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span> maid came into the room.<span>「I see you’re awake… It’s time for breakfast<span>」<span>「…It got pretty quietst night, so I slept well<span>」<span> That’s right. Usually the sound of women panting and beds creaking would keep me up until almost morning, butst night it quieted down around midnight.<span> I was worried that he mighte to me, but he didn’t, and I was able to sleepfortably for the first time in a long time.<span> There was also the matter of my sister’s message. So, I tried to trick this maid into thinking that things might have changed somehow.<span> But–<span>「Ah, since Taka-chi-sama fainted early yesterday, Confinement King-sama was visiting Kyoko-sama’s room<span>」<span> Without any particr hesitation, Centipede replied.<span> I’ve never heard the names of all these people before, but I guess they are the names of the women who fell victim to Fumio’s poison. Nothing seems to indicate that trouble is brewing.<span> After cing the tray on the floor, Centipede tilts her head slightly.<span>「Today’s breakfast is white stew<span>」<span>「…You know, stew is heavy in the morning, and when a white liquid like this is served in a ce like this…<span>」<span>「Don’t worry. There’s no way a prisoner like you can afford the luxury of eating Master’s white slime<span>」<span>「Luxury…!?<span>」<span>(It’s scary that she doesn’t even pretend to be joking…<span>)<span> When I frowned, Centipede said.<span>「It’s fine if you don’t want to eat, but since Confinement King-sama’s schedule for tonight is to train udia-sama, I think it would be wise to eat. If you’re hungry, you’ll die, won’t you?<span>」
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<span><span> ◇ ◇ ◇<span>「Kizuna… give me a fried egg<span>」<span>「Okay, okaaay, hold on a second<span>」While I was taking care of my <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">brother’s<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Onii-chan</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span> breakfast, my phone on the table vibrated.<span> After dropping the eggs into the frying pan, I picked up my phone to find a message from Sato-chan.<span> It said――<span>『I’m in trouble with the summer homework! No, I’m seriously in trouble! So, I secured a genius who had already finished her homework. Today at 13:00, I’m hosting a human-powered copying contest at a family restaurant in front of the station. How about you, <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">young<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Ojou</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span><ruby style="ruby-align: center;"dy<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">san</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span>, will youe?<span>』<span>「A human-powered copying contest?<span>」<span> I smiled and replied with a short message.<span>『<ruby style="ruby-align: center;">Extremely-hot<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Gekiatsu</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span>』<span><span> Of course I’m going.<span> As far as I was concerned, I had already nned to pretend that I had left my notebook at home on the first day of the summer vacation and postpone the submission.<span>「Onii-chan, I’m going out with Sato-chan this afternoon to do homework<span>」<span>「Hmm, yeah… where’s Saki-chan?<span>」<span>「She’s noting<span>」<span>「I see<span>」<span>「Yeah<span>」<span> Brother didn’t say much, but I could tell that he was worried about me. Shiratori-senpai is still quite suspicious, even from my point of view.I don’t know who this “genius” is ording to Sato-chan, but she must be a ssmate of mine. Even though it is less than a week before the summer vacation starts, she must be a serious girl because she has finished her homework.<span> A little after twelve o’clock and after preparing lunch for my brother, I leave the house.<span> Then, when I arrived at the family restaurant–<span>「Hey! Kizuna, over here, over here!<span>」<span> Sato-chan waved her hand to me.<span> On the table, besides the drink bar, there were texts and notebooks spread out.<span> Across from Sato-chan sat a girl who looked familiar to me. Sato-chan and I are in the same ss. But I believe she is from the next ss.<span> She is a quiet girl with long bangs and her eyes are almostpletely hidden.<span> When I sat down next to her, she turned her head shyly.<span>「Let’s see, this girl belongs to our club, Moribe. Kizuna, Is this your first meeting with her?<span>」<span>「Yeah, I vaguely know her face, but she’s in the next ss…<span>」In response to Sato-chan’s introduction, Moribe-san just said in a faint voice, “I’m Moribe”.<span> Yesterday, Sato-chan had sent messages to everyone she knew to see if they had finished their homework.<span> There were several people who had finished their homework, but only Moribe-san agreed to let her copy her homework.<span> However, looking at Moribe-san’s behavior, I think the truth is, Sato-chan forced her rather than she agreed.<span> She is probably the type of person who cannot say NO to a request.
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<span><span> Even though it is summer vacation, it is a weekday afternoon, and there are only a few customers, so there is no sign of being kicked out even if we stay long.<span> While picking up a drink from the bar and a pile of fries, we begin to copy Moribe’s noteszily.<span> But when I saw her notebook, I thought to myself, “Are you serious?” because it was a decent notebook.<span> However, there was no way it would end with just three girls gathering together and quietly copying notes.<span> It’s mainly Sato-chan who made a lot of noise, but gradually Moribe-san started to get to know us and joined in the conversation little by little.<span>「So, Moribe, how’s it going with that <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">brother<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Onii-chan</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span> of yours?<span>」<span>「Bwah!?<span>」<span> Moribe-san choked at Sato-chan’s question.<span>「I-I don’t care! I’m not going to do anything! I-I’m just happy to see him every morning.. at radio gymnastics…<span>」<span>「Radio gymnastics? Are you a kid in elementary school or something?<span>」From her attitude, Moribe-san seems to be in love with a man she called, “Onii-chan”.<span> Sato-chan made a dumbfounded face, then suddenly turned to me.<span>「Kizuna, as a true brocon, why don’t you teach her some tricks?<span>」<span>「You… <ruby style="ruby-align: center;">Madiderau~ea<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;">マジデラうぇあ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span>…<span>」 (*Note => Seriously?)<span> I said, ring at her, and Satou-chan gave me a puzzled look.<span>「Derau~Ea? What’s that?<span>」<span>「It’s my original gal-speak. If I raise the end of the word, it’s like “yeah” and if I lower the end, it’s like “<ruby style="ruby-align: center;">Gero<rp>(</rp><rt style="font-size: 7pt;yout-grid-mode: line;">Vomiting</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span>“. I thought I’d give it a shot at the buzzword award<span>」<span>「No, you can’t<span>」When Sato-chan said this with a straight face, Moribe-san erupted with a “pfft”.<hr><u><li><span>it’s an easy title to look up when you read it backter. <span>(</spanughter<span>)</li></u>