Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

"Don't worry, we'll do our best to resolve this." After Eriri softened her stance, Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled and continued, "While we'll agree to help Mrs. Sawamura, Aki Tomoya isn't included. This kind of request definitely requires payment..."

Eriri Sawamura raised her head and looked at him expectantly: if she could find Tomoya Aki, who had been implicated because of her, she would spare no expense, even if it meant giving up her savings... no, adding her father's private stash.

"Then repay with your body."

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Fujimaru Ritsuka uttered these words.

12. You're lusting after my body? Something's not right with you!

Eriri Sawamura backed away until she bumped into the soft back of the sofa. She curled up into a small ball, her frizzy blonde hair almost standing on end: "So... you guys are the kind of cult that engages in group sex all day long during parties, aren't you?!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked the blonde loser up and down, completely baffled as to why Fujimaru Ritsuka had fallen for her.

Yukino Yukinoshita put her arm around Fujimaru Ritsuka's shoulder with a forced smile, her face darkening as she exerted force: "Fujimaru, have you been acting a bit too erratic lately?"

A series of cracking sounds came from her shoulder blades, and Fujimaru Ritsuka's face contorted slightly.

Is this considered muscle strength (e)?

Oh, you mean Meltlilith's inability to exert force is due to necrosis of the nerve endings in her hands? That's alright then.

"What's wrong with your thinking? You're offering your bodies as payment, just to do menial labor? After the Sawamura family affair, you'll have to cooperate with us, so are you willing to let go?"

Sing at high speed, trace on!

Yukino Yukinoshita released Ritsuka Fujimaru and glared at him: "But I don't agree. Didn't we just agree..."

“Things have changed.” Fujimaru Ritsuka interrupted her, turning to look at Sawamura Eriri, who was watching the two of them exchanging cryptic remarks. Eriri shuddered and glared back fiercely.

"Sawamura-kun, what was your punching power test result?"

"Why ask that? Tsk, what high school girl would take such a stupid test?" Eriri Sawamura decided to compromise.

"What about the upper limit of bench press?"

"Bed press with dumbbells? 5kg!" Eriri said proudly.

Fujimaru Ritsuka sighed and said, "Then how did you manage to pull that light rope?"

This sentence is quite revealing, and Eriri stammered, "Just struggle as hard as you can."

Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her head: "Impossible. I've tested this spell before. It can withstand hundreds of kilograms of tension, and it's said to be able to easily subdue even a mad bull. But in your case, I feel that the spell has been shaken."

Eriri Sawamura blinked, unable to quite grasp the meaning behind it.

Fujimaru Ritsuka organized her thoughts and first told Sawamura Eriri the results of their industry information gathering.

Eriri Sawamura's face turned pale. She had thought it was just a trouble she had accidentally gotten herself into, but it turned out that she had been passively drawn into a far-reaching incident.

However, what Fujimaru Ritsuka said next made her waver even more.

After returning from Fukuoka, Yukinoshita Haruno packed up all the publicly available information she had collected at the Special Affairs Bureau and handed it over to Fujimaru Ritsuka for review.

While reading, Fujimaru Ritsuka noticed the existence of individuals who, unlike inheritors, did not possess innate abilities but had a natural affinity for materials and mysterious forces such as the supernatural. Even without using materials to gain extraordinary abilities, they could interfere with extraordinary powers or the supernatural simply through their own aptitude—but in return, they themselves were excellent sacrifices.

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Sawamura Eriri meaningfully: "It's not that we want to break the agreement with Mrs. Sawamura, but if you don't join Chaldea, you'll be like a mobile beehive without bees guarding it, only attracting the covetous eyes of countless hairy big-butts."

Eriri Sawamura barely opened her mouth, but a sentence stuck in her throat and she couldn't say it out—So, actually, it was all my fault that I caused all of this?

"Snapped!"

While Sawamura Eriri was feeling sorry for herself, she was ambushed. She felt a burning pain on both sides of her cheeks, as if Yukino Yukinoshita had rubbed them hard with her hands.

"Li Zaigan is a monster!" Eriri Sawamura pulled her away violently. Yukino Yukinoshita rubbed her fingers, feeling their smooth texture. "Don't look at me. That man over there made me do this. He said the pain would make you more awake."

Eriri Sawamura was furious and wanted nothing more than to pounce on him and fight him with her short arms and long ponytail.

Yukino Yukinoshita gave a barely perceptible, mocking smile: "However, I think there's some merit to his approach. Instead of worrying about whether he caused the incident, he should just drag the guy behind it out and give him a good beating."

“That’s right. It’s like some whiny shoguns who take out their anger on swordsmiths after their families are killed.” Fujimaru Ritsuka ignored Sawamura Eriri’s furious attitude and made a request directly, “Next, I will ask you some questions that will determine whether the incident can be resolved and whether you, your mother, and your friends will be safe.”

"Alright, let's do it then." Eriri Sawamura said, full of fighting spirit.

Hooked.

Fujimaru Ritsuka slightly tilted her mouth.

From the beginning until now, the repeated tormenting of the little girl Eriri Sawamura was all to make her understand the seriousness of the situation, to wear down her guard through constant shocks, and to prevent her from having much energy to think about the details and subtexts beyond the answers.

Amidst all the startling and agitating moments, Eriri Sawamura has become nothing more than a puppet who can only answer questions.

When did you first experience hallucinations?

Eriri Sawamura recalled the situation at the time: "It must have been in mid-April."

"Did anything happen around those days that was different from your daily life?"

"Well...in order to work hard during Golden Week to finish the doujinshi for the convention, I frequently went to some conventions to gather material."

What kinds of exhibitions are there?

"Akihabara crossdressing maid beauty pageant, idol audition with masked fitness models, AKB48 member retirement ceremony. Oh right! And the Tokyo Folklore Expo."

Even Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but complain: "It all sounds incredibly weird. The only somewhat normal one is the Folklore Expo. Seriously, what kind of material do you gather for your doujinshi from a place like that?!"

Eriri Sawamura looked disdainful, hugging her meager chest and shaking her head: "I think you don't understand at all! Adding dubious legends from ancient and remote places to erotic doujinshi adds a sense of reality to doujinshi that are just about sex."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded in agreement: "That's right. We can also use slightly scary legends to satisfy the weird and wonderful fantasies of those readers."

"What about 'Eight-Foot Adult,' 'Moth-like Alien Woman,' 'Mountain Demon Woman,' and 'Ghost Girl Who Makes a Promise to Her Lover for the Obon Festival Across More Than a Decade?' Which one of them isn't a good and fun work?" Eriri Sawamura counted on her fingers as if she knew them all by heart.

Fujimaru Ritsuka interrupted her, covering her face: "So, at which exhibition did you meet Aki Tomoya?"

"How did you know... well, it was probably information found out by a private investigator?" Eriri Sawamura paused for a moment before answering him, "It's the Tokyo Folklore Expo."

13. Shinichi Kudo was poisoned after overhearing someone else's conversation. What about you?

According to the private investigators' investigation, Eriri Sawamura tweeted on her private alternate account: "Went to the convention and bumped into an old friend, but I... I wasn't happy at all, hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮"

Then they added a very prominent note below: 'Based on your daughter's social network, she only has this one former friend. And judging from the obvious emotion in her tweet, it can be basically concluded that the other person is Aki Tomoya.'

Fujimaru Ritsuka was relieved for Sawamura Eriri; if he had continued to press her, she would have had to tell her that more than five detectives already knew that she was a tsundere.

...There might be more than that, after all, it's said that detectives do exchange information. The information that "the daughter of a British diplomat stationed in Japan is a tsundere (laughs)" may have already spread in small circles (* /ω＼*).

Eriri Sawamura missed information that would have landed her in serious trouble, and she lowered her head, recalling what had happened that day...

Saturday, April 20th. Eriri visits the folklore section of the expo.

Unlike a certain timeline, Japan is hosting an international folklore exchange exhibition this year, with Tokyo as the venue. Meanwhile, Eriri Sawamura has recently hit a creative block, much like the creator of "Cardcaptor Sakura," staring blankly at her graphics tablet for hours, unable to draw anything.

She needed some stimulation to ignite her creative desires, and she happened to see comments on Twitter from some industry professionals praising the innovative and well-received content of this year's folklore expo. Like a cat drawn to the scent of fish, Eriri Sawamura decided to come and see for herself.

The moment Eriri stepped into the hall, she stopped in her tracks. She began to understand why the exhibition, which had received rave reviews, was accompanied by a mischievous smile.

Indeed, I'll have to recommend it on Twitter later; I can't be the only one who sees this exhibition.

What came into Eriri's view was a huge dome painted like the night sky, with silver ornaments hanging from it emitting a faint light and moving slowly, like stars in motion.

The area beneath the dome is divided into many zones, each displaying a wide variety of exhibits on different themes.

One area is themed around the ocean, with huge ancient nautical charts painted on the floor. In those days, people depicted terrifying sea monsters in areas that were previously unexplored. The exhibitors have sculpted these sea monsters into statues. As Eriri strolls through the area, the ferocious octopus with its sharp teeth sends a chill down her spine, while the seemingly alluring yet sinister siren draws her in.

Having finally escaped the allure of the strangely attractive statues, Eriri is drawn to the next area.

It was a dance documentary from an ancient region. The performers, through lifelike makeup, transformed into villains being punished. They were either stabbed in the forehead with scissors or awls, or chopped into the forehead with kitchen knives, pig-slaughtering knives, or guillotines; or had benches, mud shoes, or bricks inserted into their foreheads; or had hoes, axes, or sickles cut into their skulls; and one even had a sword pierce through his stomach, with his intestines spilling out.

As if they were being deliberately displayed by Yama, the King of Hell, they danced a solemn yet chilling dance, their faces painted a deep red like blood, warning the world that death is not the end.

Eriri felt that all the props placed around the exhibition looked like real murder weapons, and the spots and red rust on them didn't seem like prop effects at all.

She fled as if her life depended on it, panting heavily, feeling both lingering fear and a sense of excitement.

"This trip wasn't a waste... my foot! My mind is full of R18G content right now! If I draw it, my die-hard fans will probably be besiege my door... wait, what if they get addicted and force me to draw it every day? I'm not that perverted O-sensei!"

Frustrated, Eriri unknowingly drifted away from the already sparse crowd and turned into a quiet, deserted area.

"Ah, this is the Cthulhu section? Speaking of which, can the works of Howard Philip Lovecraft be considered folk culture?"

Eriri Sawamura almost laughed, after all, in the stories written by the master of craftsmanship, folklorists are all high-risk professions.

However, she had already read far too many Cthulhu-related stories... It wasn't because the works in the folk museum were of such high quality that she dared not go in!

She was about to leave when she caught a familiar voice.

Squinting, Eriri Sawamura restrained herself from looking at the surroundings and slowly moved closer, the content of the voices gradually becoming clearer.

"...Regarding Mr. H.P. Lovecraft, I must pay tribute to him. Works such as 'World of Warcraft,' 'Demon Slayer,' and 'Haiyore! Nyaruko-san' have all borrowed or directly copied the setting. The Cthulhu Mythos has been steadily and quietly growing in modern subcultures..."

Eriri Sawamura saw him talking to a well-dressed old gentleman, and Tomoya Aki was gesturing wildly, just like an otaku meeting a friend he could recommend something to.

The old gentleman stroked his mustache thoughtfully: "So, Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, under modern construction, has been rewritten into works that can influence more people, and many people are willing to invest their interest and energy in these works?"

The old gentleman was somewhat amused and exasperated: "I never imagined that Lovecraft's pessimistic and negative works, based on the theory of agnosticism, would be so widely circulated. Most of his books argue that seeking too much unnecessary knowledge is the first step toward madness and destruction... But ironically, everyone who agrees with him and likes his works is heading toward what he calls the first step."

"Because some people find it interesting, they're willing to appreciate these works—it's that simple." Aki Tomoya snapped his fingers. "Moreover, most people nowadays believe that more and more knowledge is the best. So, when people appreciate the Cthulhu Mythos, it's simply because they're appreciating works that offer a worldview different from everyday experiences. And speaking of which, aren't most people in the world, especially creators, cultists pursuing ever-increasing amounts of mystical knowledge?"

The old gentleman's eyes lit up. He slammed his cane down with both hands, beaming with joy, his white mustache trembling incessantly: "Yes, yes, you're right! How come I never thought of this angle?"

He then glanced meaningfully to the side, and Eriri Sawamura felt she had been discovered.

"Such a respectable young man, thank you for your words that have cleared up my confusion. I'll give you this book; I hope you can find even more knowledge within it." The old gentleman took out a beautifully bound book with a hardcover cover and handed it to Aki Tomoya.

Aki Tomo accepted it without hesitation. As an otaku himself, he understood that the other person had a book for preaching and was ready to recommend it to others at any time.

Before Aki Tomoya could thank him, the old gentleman hurriedly left the scene, just like a scientist in a laboratory who had obtained crucial data.

As Aki Tomoya stroked the book in his hand, about to open it, he caught a glimpse of Sawamura Eri out of the corner of his eye.

He felt a little awkward, but still greeted her: "Oh, it's Eriri-san! Are you here to check out the convention too?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Creators, as you said, are people who crave all kinds of knowledge to stimulate their emotions."

Eriri Sawamura curiously leaned closer, pretending to be very familiar with the book: "I didn't expect that after you successfully recommended it to others, you could also receive recommendations from others. Come on, let me see the book you're holding!"

Aki Tomoya could only open the book to the first page on the spot to satisfy her curiosity.

"Oh, it's Chinese characters, and in classical Chinese at that. Whether I can understand it or not is another matter... Hmm?"

Eriri Sawamura found it a bit strange; she and Tomoya Aki both seemed to understand the contents of the book immediately.

She could understand difficult words at a glance, and the hidden meanings between the words immediately caught up with her brain.

Subconsciously, they read aloud the first sentence of the book together: "I have often heard that it is not people who are diligent in seeking knowledge, but rather those who know who are diligent in seeking others. However, I know this is wrong. Those who know do not seek others, but rather go out and chase after others."