While the enemy's skills remain unknown, knowing their name and type allows for some strategy.
So, regardless of how strong this enemy is…
"Tiki, create an opening; I'll leave the rest to you."
"Alright, leave it to the big sister! Dammit!"
She sounded a bit reckless, as if she was at her wit's end.
Holding the handle of a sickle in her mouth, Tiki switched to a combat stance.
Then it was my turn. I swapped my throwing skill with a kick…
Deep-fried tofu, throw!
Without hesitation, I wound up and launched the tofu.
"What a waste!"
Inari gasped in disbelief. Was it the fact that she had thrown the fried tofu, or that she had treated the food so poorly? Or perhaps it was the sight of a fox, still in its servile stage, pouncing on the tofu? Regardless, my plan had succeeded.
The wind fox devoured the fried tofu with unrestrained enthusiasm. It was clear this was something it had never tasted before, as it ate with complete focus.
"Are you an idiot!? We're in the middle of a battle!?" Inari exclaimed.
"Kon!?" The wind fox snapped back to reality, lifting its head to see me standing there. Terra, looking frightened, cowered beside me.
However, the wind fox seemed unable to spot another presence, and it frantically scanned the surroundings. And then, from behind, it appeared—swiftly flying in, using both hands to maneuver, tracing an arc towards the wind fox.
With a sweeping motion, the figure swung a scythe overhead, and just as the wind fox became aware of the presence, it turned only to have its neck sliced cleanly through.
Whoa, that was bloody! The severed head of the wind fox twirled in the air, splattering blood. It seemed that the strike had triggered an instant-kill, a soul harvest against an unsuspecting target.
Actually, isn't that more of a neck harvest than a soul harvest? A single blow delivering instant death—I had no idea how powerful that attack was.
"What a… I can't believe it ended with just one blow," I remarked.
"Hehe, this lady can handle it," she replied with a smirk.
Yeah, I know you can handle it! But even though I had consciously created an opening and aimed for it, the clean execution felt unsettlingly too perfect.
"The trial results are what they are. Normally, you'd face a tougher challenge. But that's fine. Shall I bestow upon you a divine power? Which one would you like?"
Oh, it's a choice.
— Please select one from the following options —
**Telepathy Lv1:** Gain the ability to receive telepathic messages.
**Strength Enhancement Lv1:** Boost your physical strength.
**Luck Lv1:** Good things will start to happen for you.
**Bonding:** You'll encounter potential romantic partners more frequently.
**Fortune Telling Lv1:** A necessary skill to become a fortune teller.
Hmm...
This seems a bit underwhelming?
Telepathy would turn me into a psychic, right?
Even if I boost my strength, I already have a kicking skill.
I've got enough luck as it is, and with Hannah around, I don't need more connections.
Maybe fortune telling? But what would it matter if I could do it?
"What's wrong?"
"You look like you didn't find any skills you wanted."
"Well, there are five skills to choose from, but telepathy would make me a psychic, right? Like, hearing voices? And strength enhancement doesn't help much because I specialize in kicking. I've got luck already. As for bonding, I'm on the verge of something with Hannah. And fortune telling, what would I even accomplish with that?"
"Oh dear."
"But really, this is all I can offer you..."
"Then it has to be that!"
"'That'?"
Tiki's words made both Inari and me tilt our heads in confusion.
"Tamers, right? If you can't use your divine powers, then you have to offer yourself instead. If you lose, you get tamed—that's Hiro's ability, isn't it?"
"Wait, I don't have that ability!?"
"Tame… m-me!?"
"Exactly! You lost the fight, after all."
"But I didn't fight!? Besides..."
"Henry, bring out that thing from earlier!"
"That thing?" Could it be this?
As I pulled it out, Tiki snatched it away and started waving it in front of Inari's face.
"Look, look! You're starting to want to be tamed!"
Is this some kind of hypnosis?
For now, I'll change my title to Giant Tamer.
"Uh, hmm. But, you see, I am technically a god… Ah, fine, fine. Will this do?"
—Inari seems eager to join, do you want to tame him?—
He really wants to join! I'll go for the tame.
"That said, I can't leave this shrine. So, I'll use a proxy to stay by your side."
With that, Inari took out a piece of paper shaped like a person and threw it.
It erupted in smoke, revealing a girl who looked just like Inari.
She was a cute girl in a miko outfit with a stylish hime cut.
"Through this, I'm always watching. If you feel like it, I'll even tell you my true name," Inari said with a hearty laugh as she ascended the shrine grounds. Apparently, that was her home.
"Is the conversation over?"
"Huh?!"
I totally forgot that Tamamo's sister was keeping an eye on us!
Tamamo made a complex face as I grabbed Tiki by the collar and moved toward the place where an unfamiliar old man was waiting.
"Hiro, please, I beg you!"
"Alright, alright, let's make amends. I don't want to get banned yet."
"Sister, we've captured the culprit!"
I approached Tamamo's sister and bowed respectfully.
"Good work," she replied.
"You traitor, Henry!"
"Honestly, I can't believe how things turned out. The game's balance has been completely shattered. Who would have thought even Inari would end up being tamed?"
"And she was all for it, too; she was tempted by fried tofu!"
This old man—could he also be a yokai? He looked like a stubborn old geezer, but he held an air of authority that suggested he was probably Nurarihyon.
"I am Nurarihyon. I'm responsible for tracking down dangerous individuals and issuing account suspension orders."
Oh no, he's a high-ranking AI!?
I instinctively dropped to my knees in apology.
The situation had turned into a complete mess.
"Ah, no, no, I'm not saying we're going to suspend your account. It's just odd that you're the only one in such a strange situation. You're taming only boss characters, you're at the top level, and you've even uncovered some insider information."
That last part wasn't my fault—it was Tiki who messed up. So please, just punish Tiki for that.
"Hey, Hiro, are you trying to sell the lady here? Are you okay?"
"W-what? Of course not!"
"Then why are you pushing me forward like this!?"
"Hey, Inari, don't comment on this ugly squabble! Terra looks exasperated."
"For now, I'll need you to edit the video. As for Tiki, well… maybe some punishment is in order."
"It seems there's no evidence of cheating, so we might leave Henry alone. But this situation has turned pretty dire right off the bat. If we let it go too long, we might end up with a game full of boss characters, and that could ruin the balance."
"Isn't it already broken? At this point, he's pretty much the only one who can explore the nighttime academy, right? He got a head start and has already made it halfway to the finish line!"
"Still, in a few months, he'll be buried among everyone else. It's not like he'll keep running into boss characters all the time."
Inari spoke optimistically, but Tamamo and Nurarihyon wore skeptical expressions.
"It seems like things could go wrong," said Tamamo.
"Well, we have to plan events with that in mind, right?" Tamamo replied.
"Hmm, choosing that as the initial event may have been a mistake."
"Since we're at it, shouldn't we have Henry be on the scary side?"
"True, he could join that side. I'll let the event coordinator know. Oh ho, it seems like we might manage this!"
Nurarihyon smiled broadly as he vanished into thin air.
"Ah, I'll just borrow Tiki for a moment. Since Inari is my partner, it should be fine, right?"
"Wait! Tamamo-chan, no! Please forgive me; I didn't do anything—ow, ow, don't pull my hair! My hair is a woman's lifeline!"
"Silence! You, who has no means of pleasing a man, have no room to complain now. Get over here, you troublemaker!"
"N-noooooo!"
Tiki was dragged into the dimensional hole that had opened up. Tamamo began making a rift in the sky, and this was no longer something that could be explained by youkai power.
"Uh, what should we do now?"
"Aren't you planning to go to Anywhere?" Terra declared, while Inari looked bewildered.
Even if you say we're going to Anywhere…
"I'm planning to spend the afternoon playing with the NPC kids, but since I have some free time until then, I thought I might explore the mountains. I've finished exploring that area, and I hear it's dangerous beyond the halfway point, so I think I'll head back now."
"I see. So it's just a matter of returning now."
"Oh, and I heard that if you come to the shrine with the title 'Not Afraid of Ghosts,' some kind of event might trigger."
"Did you hear that from Tiki? If so, you should already have that title."
"Wait, really? I haven't checked my status in a while. It would be nice if I got a notification when I learned new abilities."
Let's see...
**Name:** Henry
**Race:** Human
**Class:** Elementary School Student **New**
**Title:** Not Afraid of Ghosts **New**
**Level:** 14
**HP:** 196/196
**MP:** 84/84
**TP:** 84/84
**GP:** 28/28
**Status:** Normal
**Skills:** **New**
- **Taming Level 10:** Can tame NPCs and enemies.
- **Spirit Sight Level 10:** Can see otherworldly beings.
- **Luck Level 5:** Good things are likely to happen.
- **Lucky Pervert Level 4:** May trigger slightly risqué events with women.
- **Kicking Technique Level 5:** Can learn kick-based skills.
- **Favored Weapon: Unarmed Level 12:** Increases attack power by not wielding a weapon.
"O-oh, my class has 'New' attached to it!"
Class:
Elementary School Student: A child qualified to attend elementary school.
---
Exorcist: A profession that worships and reveres spiritual beings, urging them to retreat.
An Exorcist, you say?
"That's the lowest rank among professions like demon slayers and onmyoji. There are ghosts that gather at shrines, right? Engaging with them while having a title leads to this profession."
It seems there are various ways to acquire jobs in that category, including apprenticing with someone experienced.
In my case, it's a self-taught job.
For now, let's chant a sutra.
"Rin, byō, tō, sha, min, jin, retsu, zai, zen!"
"What on earth are you doing?!"
"Huh? It's something called 'Hayaku Kuji'. Isn't it a form of self-defense?"
"Get it back quickly!"
"Back?"
"Did you use it without knowing? That's the Kuji Kiri! It can cut not just disasters but countless ties too! If you direct it toward a shrine, it's tantamount to opposing the gods! Plus, it becomes a skill, so your GP will decrease!"
No way!
"The release mantra is On Kiri Kyara Hara Futaran Basotsu Sowaka... wait, was 'Hara' meant to be said twice?"
I seem to have accidentally chanted a skill, though I don't really understand it.
There's definitely someone who would mindlessly chant something like this. Picking a fight with the gods? That's a terrible idea!
For now, I'll change my class to Exorcist.
Not knowing what changed, I switched back to being an Elementary School Student.
I'm afraid of being treated like a suspicious person if I switch classes without a good reason. Anyway, I think my titles and skills have been updated. First, let's check the titles.
Titles:
- **Not Afraid of Ghosts:** Defeat a spirit-type enemy without having effective attack skills against them.
- **Giant Tamer:** Successfully tame beings that are more than 20 levels higher. Increases chances of taming stronger foes.
- **Outlaw Boy:** A title given to those who commit acts of violence against weaker opponents. Earns respect from others with the same outlaw status.