I became the emperor in the comic book series.

She wasn't as stubborn as Miss Mary when she was the Slit-Mouthed Woman.

However, she was unable to obtain the imperial title.

I may say it, but I'm not convinced.

Because of this, Akira Higashino almost thought that the eerie thing born from an urban legend was closer to a monster than an evil spirit, and therefore might not be able to be conferred a title.

It turns out that it is indeed possible.

Miss Mary was different. As a somewhat arrogant little imp, she was tough on the outside but fragile on the inside, and her mental defenses were easily broken. Although she didn't say it, she had already silently agreed to accept the title.

By investing the newly acquired five attribute points into his mental attribute, Akira Higashino's mental attribute strength reached twenty points for the first time, achieving another breakthrough.

The field of vision of the psychic realm is clearer, and mental power is more controllable and observable. Although it cannot probe to great distances and the force is only to the extent of using skill to bend a spoon, it can indeed subtly interfere with reality around the body.

Higashino Akira could vaguely sense that if his mental attribute could eventually break through fifty, he would most likely gain a considerable amount of telekinetic ability.

"Miss Mary."

I gently called out to the doll-like girl who was slumped over her pillow.

Receiving no reply, the newly awakened spiritual power transformed into an invisible tentacle and gently touched Miss Mary's back. The sudden touch made her unable to hold back and instinctively let out a shy moan.

Then, Miss Mary, regaining her senses, glared angrily at this bastard lolicon. He had already taken advantage of her, yet he didn't rest properly and still had to bully her. She gritted her teeth.

That's absolutely awful!

No wonder he bullied the Slit-Mouthed Woman so much before. I originally thought the Slit-Mouthed Woman was too weak, but now I realize that this guy is just too cruel!

"As a veteran urban legend, you wouldn't want your defeat by mere humans to be exposed. In the future, everyone will know that Miss Mary is a cute and erotic girl, and humans will no longer be afraid of you, refuse to provide you with power, and your fellow humans will laugh at you and regard you as a disgrace."

"You're already like this, what more do you want from me? You're bullying me too much..."

Miss Mary burst into tears again, tears welling up in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Higashino Akira interrupted her fantasy, "Wake up, you're not even human."

"Uh...! I... this...!"

The emotions she had just begun to build were abruptly interrupted. Miss Mary's mouth was slightly open, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

Higashino gently stroked her face, his fingers lingering on her delicate lips, gently caressing them. "If this situation doesn't only happen to you, then your other kind have no right to laugh at you, right?"

"Little Mary isn't a useless doll, is she?"

"Go find more strange people with different abilities and personalities who are worth becoming your companions, especially that Slit-Mouthed Woman. As the culprit who caused you to fall into this state, bring her back as well."

"I...this..." Miss Mary hesitated. The special tactile sensation of channeling spiritual energy through her mental power made her, being an eerie being, particularly sensitive and clear. She couldn't help but let out another cute, pitiful cry. In the end, she could only shout in a tearful voice, "Stop! I promise you!"

"I can't come any more, it'll break if I do!"

"How cute!"

"That's not cute at all!"

Actually, her face was already blushing with embarrassment.

Miss Mary may look like a little devil, but she's actually a very easy child to handle.

Higashino Akira smiled, but didn't tease her by asking for another round.

The next morning, Higashino Akira opened his eyes, got out of bed, and washed up.

Miss Mary had already left early to take care of her business, afraid that if she woke up late she would run into this bad guy and be severely humiliated for several hours early in the morning.

As a mature and eerie being who has existed for a long time, she is not a fool like the Slit-Mouthed Woman who lacks common sense; she knows about the physiological changes that occur in young human males in the morning.

With all matters recently settled and arranged, Akira Higashino has found himself unusually free until the results are in.

I originally planned to meet up with Saki Kawasaki, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, to test the impact of anime on human cognition and to play a prank on Saki's lovely mother.

However, an emergency call came from Guitar Hero, so he had to temporarily abandon the idea.

.........

Chiba Soutake.

After school in the afternoon, in the Service Club activity room.

Yui Yui, with her pink hair tied into a unique bun, sat listlessly in a chair, wasting another day without any club assignments.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she sat up abruptly and looked at her two other club members in the room with a serious expression.

"Speaking of which, have you guys noticed that Hiratsuka-sensei's personality has been unusually gentle these past two days, and she always has a smile on her face no matter when or who sees her."

Upon hearing this, Hachiman Hikigaya raised his dead fish eyes and glanced at her, saying weakly, "It's nothing, is it?"

"That can't be right!" Yui Yuigahama widened her eyes and puffed out her cheeks. "Something really great must have happened. Hiratsuka-sensei wasn't like this before!"

"Maybe she's finally found a boyfriend and gotten rid of being single." Hachiman Hikigaya calmly guessed the most likely fact. "She hasn't said a single word of complaint about being a popular person or criticizing her blind date for being blind in the past two days. I haven't seen her smoking either, and she doesn't even smell of cigarettes anymore."

"No, no, no," Yui Yui waved her hand in disbelief upon hearing this. "The probability of this happening is even lower than the probability of Hiratsuka-sensei winning the lottery a couple of days ago. It's impossible, isn't it?"

As she spoke, she gave Hachiman a disdainful look, "Besides, Hiratsuka-sensei is a woman after all, and Hachiman keeps talking about women's smells and stuff, H!"

You bitch, you were the one who started this whole thing!

The boy with dead fish eyes was internally ranting, but wisely refrained from wasting time arguing with her further.

Yui Yui only teased him to liven up the atmosphere and didn't dwell on it. After chatting for a while, she realized that since the topic wasn't about Hiratsuka-sensei herself and she wasn't in the Service Club, she couldn't ask directly. In the end, she skipped the topic and turned to look at the girl beside her who had been quietly reading and hadn't said much.

"It seems like Xiaoxue and Saki-chan's relationship has suddenly become much better lately. In the past, you two would ignore each other, but now you greet each other when you meet. That's great."

Upon hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been silently reading, stiffened. She then continued reading calmly without raising her head and said indifferently, "We have some interaction and know each other. It would be too impolite not to greet each other when we meet."

"Nani, nani, I really want to know..."

Yuihama's eyes lit up immediately. She sat down and hugged Yukinoshita's arm, holding her close to her chest like a clingy, affectionate puppy.

The sudden elastic squeezing sensation caused Yukino Yukinoshita's pupils to dilate slightly, as if someone had pressed her face against fermented bean curd!

More importantly, she knew that Yuihama did not mean it that way.

But I inexplicably felt personally attacked!

....................................

....................................

P.S.: 10 chapters still owed. Only three updates today. I accidentally fell asleep for a few hours while writing, but I've started adding more chapters, so I'm back on track. I'll try to start with four updates tomorrow.

It was revised again and again. After the first revision, it failed the second review, so it had to be revised again. Some content was deleted. The word count of the paid chapters could not be reduced after the revision, so a few words were added to make up the difference.

This is the fifth time it's been changed; from the front to the back. Even a hug between girls causes a reaction? Enough already!

Chapter Ninety-Four: Pochi's Dowry

A blush inadvertently spread across Yukino Yukinoshita's fair and lovely face.

The blush on the girl's face outweighed all the profanities.

"They're too close..."

"Please, please, I want to know more about Xiaoxue..."

Hachiman Hikigaya, standing to the side, watched the two cute girls being all lovey-dovey. His expression remained unchanged, his dead fish eyes still exuding a melancholy air.

Actually, I felt very gratified. It's really nice among cute girls.

Anyway, he didn't have much to do with these two people, and it was even more impossible for them to have a relationship with him beyond being classmates or club members. Rather than watching beautiful girls get together with other popular people and spreading the stench of romance everywhere, he preferred to watch the beauty of them being affectionate with each other.

If only Komachi could be like that, Hachiman Hikigaya felt his heart stop just thinking about how the cute Komachi might fall in love with another boy, get married, and have children.

This is too hopeless. Komachi getting married—no, no, even if it's love—should wait until twenty years after his death!

"No, it's very impolite to keep asking people they don't want to talk about, Yuhihama!"

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't push away Yui Yuigahama, who was hugging her. Partly because she was used to it, and partly because she was afraid of hurting Yui's feelings and making her think that she disliked her. After all, Yui was a sentimental girl who was prone to overthinking.

She looked at the girl with the seriousness of a stern older sister, and began to educate her earnestly, like a mother cat teaching her child.

Yui's serious attitude made her somewhat disappointed, but she quickly grew to admire and like Yukinoshita even more for her dignified, earnest, and cute appearance, who was also willing to be her friend and get along with her amicably.

"Besides, there are other people in the activity room."

Hikigaya:? ? ?

So should I be grateful that I'm no longer an insect and have evolved into a human?

After spending about an hour in the club activity room, Yukino Yukinoshita got up to leave the school and ran into Saki Kawasaki, who was on duty that day, at the school gate.

The two looked at each other without saying a word.

Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "My driver is waiting outside. Would you like to go back together?"

Saki Kawasaki shook her head. On one hand, she still didn't quite know how to deal with this guy who was even her classmate.

On the other hand, "I also have tutoring today. If he doesn't contact me to meet up, I usually only go there once or twice a week to clean up."

After saying that, she quickened her pace and left, brushing past Yukino Yukinoshita.

In his heart, he silently prayed that the guy wouldn't suddenly have a brain fart and want to do something fancy, like one-to-many or something, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

.........

In Shimokitazawa, a secluded little park with few people, Akira Higashino found Ichiri Goto, who had been waiting for him for a long time.

She seemed to be lost in thought, her face shifting between hesitation and confusion.

Higashino Akira walked over and gently patted her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sit here and obstruct your view..."

Startled awake from her inner turmoil by the sudden slap, Goto Ichiri instinctively apologized frantically, her whole being melting away.

Higashino Akira quickly reached out and cupped her small face, preventing her from transforming into a dark pink serpent.

"Pochi, it's me."

Boqi, whose little face was clearly being held in someone else's palm, felt a sense of relief upon hearing this voice. She relaxed instantly, blinked her cute eyes, and looked at him with an innocent gaze.

Thanks to Akira Higashino's orders, Ichiri Goto had to send him morning, noon, and evening greetings and a selfie every day, followed by the indispensable direct compliments.

This not only increased the frequency of communication with her, but also built up her confidence. At least when facing him, this extremely socially anxious pink-haired girl wouldn't be so scared that she would tremble all over and be unable to speak.

"Tell me, what's the matter that my girlfriend took the initiative to ask me out?"

Upon hearing this, Goto Ichiri instinctively avoided eye contact, finding it difficult to speak.

Seeing this, Higashino Akira grabbed her little face and gently pulled it to both sides.

"uh-huh…"

“Ouch…” Guitar Hero nervously pulled out three tickets to Starlight from his pocket. “The band is having a performance in two days. The manager requires everyone to sell at least five tickets as part of their sales target. One for Dad, one for Mom, one for Erli, one for Jimiheng, and one left.”

“But Hongxia said Erli is still too small, and Jimmy Heng is a dog and can't buy a ticket, so…”

"That's right. Yili is my girlfriend, so you can talk to me openly and honestly about anything. You don't need to be so timid. This shows a lack of self-confidence and a lack of trust in me, understand?"

Higashino Akira released her hand, letting go of the guitar hero's small face, took the three tickets from her hand, and looked at her relieved expression as he spoke seriously.

Upon hearing this, Goto Ichiri quickly nodded repeatedly.

Then, with her head down, she pulled out a piggy bank that she had prepared for a long time from somewhere and handed it to her boyfriend.

"This is the money my mother saved for my wedding expenses. Please feel free to use it for the entrance fees. And I would be extremely grateful if you could come and give me some guidance when you have time."

"A dowry!" Higashino Akira paused for a moment, then smiled and took the piggy bank. "Alright, I'll take it, but not to buy tickets. I'm taking on Ms. Goto Ichiri's future life."

As he spoke, he took out his wallet, pulled out a bank card that he had prepared beforehand, and handed it over. "Here, let's exchange."

"The password is your birthday. A minimum of 300,000 yen will be deposited into your account every month. I originally planned to give it to you later, but since Ichiri has already made the decision in advance, I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

“Ugh!!! This won’t do… I…”

Goto Ichiri panicked and quickly waved his hand, not daring to accept it.

This is an enormous sum of money, and it's continuous; it could keep her at home for the rest of her life. She doesn't deserve it at all!

Higashino Akira didn't give her a chance to refuse and directly stuffed the card into her hand.

"Of course."

“Ichiri entrusted her dowry to me, and I also entrusted my attitude to Ichiri. This is reasonable.”

"No refusal allowed."

Upon hearing the order, Goto Ichiri instinctively chose to accept, "I...I understand!"