I'm a weird expert in Japan

As if to answer Shiyu's question, a childish yet arrogant voice sounded above her head.

Shinobu Oshino sat on top of the altar, looking down at the situation in front of her.

Mixed race?

Are you talking about Lian? Shiyu's mind raced, trying to keep up with the current situation.

"Why are you just watching? Have you really betrayed me?" Lian shouted there inexplicably.

"I'm just an ordinary person and I don't have any fighting ability against monsters." Senjougahara sighed.

"I mean Shinobu...Sister Shinobu!" Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You just said 'Auntie', right?"

"No! I'm talking about my sister!"

"Kaka... There's no point in worrying about this kind of thing." Shinobu Oshino yawned, "As your coming-of-age gift in the future, I'll give it to you in advance—"

Just as he finished speaking, a knife as long as Sasaki Kojiro's pole fell down, cut off the crab's claws, and stabbed into the ground.

"Demon Sword·Heart Crossing?"

"Imitation, just right for you, isn't it, little brat?"

"Grateful."

Lian grasped the hilt of the knife with his free hand.

In fact, he had enough strength to control a pair of pliers with one hand, and the desperate situation before was just a sign of weakness to the so-called gods.

"I say, Kasumigaoka, do you really think it's all your fault? Is it your fault for being too outstanding? Don't you like yourself the way you are?" Lian carried the demon sword on his shoulder.

In a posture similar to subduing a person, he pulled the remaining giant claws of the crab and stepped on the ground.

"..."

"Be it talent, genius, or luck, there's nothing wrong with it. The only thing wrong is the guy who doesn't use these things properly. You were just rejected by a man, is it necessary to blame yourself for being so good?" Lian grinned, "It's just that fate is not right, you are not wrong at all!"

Under the dim candlelight, moonlight came in from the glassless window, illuminating Lian's figure.

Shiyu opened her eyes wide and was speechless. If she fell into hell, she would probably never forget this scene.

"Yes... you are right, Shijo-kun..."

The girl trembled and got up from the ground. Her clothes were covered with dust, but she didn't care.

She glared at the crab with an unyielding look.

"I'm not wrong! I didn't do anything wrong! It's just because I did too well that others are discouraged. That's their cowardice! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Insults are generally used to vent all dissatisfaction.

The dust in the air also trembled.

"You're nothing but a weak otaku who's worse than a blind bat! One day you'll regret your choice!"

The dark emotions gushed out towards the person who was not there.

but--

Senjougahara smiled.

Oshino Shinobu smiled.

The four ripples also smiled slightly.

"Just say it out loud, isn't it?"

The demon sword Heart Crossing pierced through the crab's body.

It seemed to be dissolved and disappeared into the air, leaving only the ripples on the ground and the demon sword stuck in the concrete.

"Ahh——" Shinobu Oshino yawned again and disappeared into the shadows.

After knowing that everything was over, Kasumigaoka Utaha collapsed to the ground.

A lot happened that night, draining away her already limited physical strength.

"Thank you for your hard work, and congratulations."

As if summarizing everything, Senjougahara Kurogi looked at Shiyu and said.

Section 26 Chapter Remuneration

"They say the protagonist will appear at the end, but, Police Officer, you came a little too late. The matter has already been resolved."

Araragi Koyomi finally arrived after picking up Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, and placing her on the back seat of the sports car, and then taking off his coat and covering her with it.

And he was riding in a police car driven by a colleague.

If she hadn't known that he was a policeman, Lian would have almost thought that Araragi Koyomi, who was already twenty-four or twenty-five years old, was arrested by the police for some perverted behavior.

"No, I had no intention of getting involved in this matter." After saying goodbye to his colleagues, Araragi Koyomi walked to the RV parked at the construction site.

The door of the RV was locked, the lights were on inside, and Senjougahara Kurokami was changing clothes inside.

By the way, the RV was also driven here from Senjougahara.

Lian was too tired to complain about what these two people were doing.

"You're not going to intervene?" Lian sat on the hood. "You're really unlike Inspector-san. In the past, you would help others even if it cost you your life, right? I was looking forward to your heroic performance."

"If I have to say anything, it's that I'm very busy right now, with work and the meeting between the two fathers." Araragi leaned against the car body and smiled easily, "And since you noticed it, it's up to you to solve it."

"That's not much of an explanation." Lian groaned, "I just died."

“You risked your life, too…” Araragi smiled with empathy.

"That's not the case." Lian kept waving her hands. "It was that crab that showed no respect for martial ethics and attacked me. I was almost twisted into a rag."

"So, what was the result?" Araragi looked at Ren. "I heard from Shinobu that it was very similar to what happened to Kurogi back then?"

Lian turned around and looked at Shiyu's sleeping face. "This time it's not a 'heavy crab', but a 'feather crab' that is very similar to it."

"'Feather Crab'?" Araragi Koyomi nodded, looking at the night sky and muttering to himself, "I remember that guy Oshino said that crab is the 'God of Thought'. The so-called thought can be explained as longing and obsession."

"Obsession..." Lian thought thoughtfully.

That makes sense.

When something too painful happens to people, they often unconsciously seal up that memory.

But when it is not particularly painful in itself, but is too unique.

Instead of forgetting the bad experience, constantly praying in your heart for a repetition, or constantly looking for reasons why you went astray.

The deep obsession of Kasumigaoka Utaha, which was not visible on the surface, attracted irresponsible gods.

It’s my fault for being rejected, it’s my fault for being too outstanding, and it’s my fault for not being able to stand on the same level as the boy I like.

Whatever it is, it's my fault.

Only in this way can I accept the reality and the fact that my carefully prepared confession has been rejected.

This unconscious self-blame was so severe that it even made Kasumigaoka Utaha continue to ponder the essence of the incident. In fact, it was just a not-so-special example among the countless missed opportunities in the world.

But that is for humanity as a whole.

For Shiyu herself, it was the first time in her life that she, who did not like socializing with others, tried to have in-depth contact with others.

And then he failed irretrievably.

Stop thinking.

Take the blame.

Myself, too proactively.

He chose the most unreasonable way.

Find an answer that you can accept.

No matter how cleverly he joked on the surface, he was firmly convinced of this in his heart without any hesitation and gave up thinking about it again and again.

"Self-reflection is a virtue, but excessive self-reflection will only bring bad things. When people take on faults that are not their own, many different problems will always arise. It's like admitting to a crime in court that you didn't commit." Araragi Koyomi said quietly.

Lian said nothing.

If you admit a sin that is not yours, you must bear a punishment that is not yours.

If you take responsibility for faults that are not yours, you will get things that do not belong to you.

For "Feather Crab", Kasumigaoka Utaha at that time was the most suitable "trash can".

With extra weight comes excess pain.

For those who have never experienced true failure, the first taste of defeat is bound to be hard to swallow.

"The 'feather crab' is a deity that feeds on negative emotions, but if it eats too much of this, its body will become heavy and unable to move. Therefore, it needs to empty its body from time to time. To put it bluntly, it's like human metabolism." Araragi Koyomi said sarcastically, "These excess things fall on humans and turn into excess 'weight'."

Some people seek peace of mind through escape.

Some people find comfort in self-blame.

In this regard, Kasumigaoka Utaha is unexpectedly delicate and kinder than she looks.

It is obvious that all he needs to do is acknowledge the facts and apportion the right and wrong equally, but he stubbornly chose the most stubborn and worst way.

"It seems that 'first love' is really scary." Lian looked at the night sky and said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, it's very scary." Araragi nodded.

Lian got up from the hood. "Oh, right, Police Chief, that knife—"

"Hmm?" Araragi looked in the direction where Lian's finger was pointing.

The demon sword Xindu was still stuck in the ground.

It is a replica made by Shinobu Oshino herself - although its actual power is enough to rival the original.

"It's settled." Lian scratched his head, "After all, it's Shinobu...sister's things..."

After all, it was not his thing, so he had no intention of claiming it as his own.

As for the so-called "early coming-of-age gift", it was just regarded as Shinobu Oshino's usual joke.

"Xiao Shinobu told you to accept it."

"Huh?" Lian was stunned.

"It's a 'gift'." Araragi Koyomi looked at Lian calmly, "As a gift for the 'journey' you are about to embark on."

"Travel?" Lian was dumbfounded. "I never said I was going on a trip."

Araragi couldn't help but sigh this time, "Could it be that you didn't notice anything at all?"

"Ah? What did you notice?" Lian shrank back, the corners of his mouth twitching, trying to hide the strange feeling he felt.

"As a mixed-blood vampire, it's already unreasonable for you not to grow as fast as Absolute." Araragi Koyomi said seriously, "If this continues, 'that thing' will come to correct this 'deviation'."

"..." Lian fell silent.

He had indeed noticed that on the way here with Shiyu, that strange feeling was still following him.

As for the source of the strange feeling, now that Araragi Koyomi mentioned it, Lian had a pretty good idea.

Chapter 27: Talking about money hurts feelings, talking about feelings hurts money

"Dark" (くらやみ).

Rules that override all weirdness.

When it deviates from its essence as a weirdness, that thing will appear and devour the object without mercy.

Araragi Koyomi had seen it twice and saved different people from the threat of that thing twice, or rather, it was strange.

And now, the Darkness seems to be stirring again, and its target is Lian.