CH 247.1

I opened the door. The first thing I felt was a sticky, oily, savory air.

To think something like this will happen…… I was the one who asked Sytry to set up the kitchen, but I didn’t expect that to happen.

Wooden boxes were piled high in the kitchen. The first ingredients were prepared by Sytry, but there was obviously more than before.

When I looked at Sytry who was next to me, she shook her head.

If all the ingredients inside were for Aburaage, then Sora has already found someone to provide for the ingredients in such a short period of time.

“I see…… I am surrounded by only talented people, aren’t I?” (Cry)

Has Sora already decided to push forward in that direction?

Unfortunately, I can’t stay with you. I can help out once in a while, but it is not like my favorite food is Aburaage.

The sound of popping oil. In the kitchen, there was Sora, wearing a mask and frantically swinging a frying pan――And me, wearing a fox mask, with my legs crossed in mid-air.

Sytry’s expression hardened and she slowly looked up at me.

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the me floating in the air again.

It is me. It is exactly me over there. His mask won’t deceive my eyes. More than Kryhi Andrichhi, he looks way more similar to me.

Sora’s gaze turned to me, and her eyes widened as if she was startled.

Noticing me, the me removed his fox mask and smiled a cool, nihilistic smile for nothing.

The me says in my cool, clear voice.

“…… Well, well, well…… Who are you, is not something that I will ask, my fake. You have really done whatever you wanted up until now.” (Epic Cry)

!?

Without a second thought, I opened my hands and looked down.

“I was……………… A fake all along?” (Cry)

“This one is the real one! Kyaaaa!” (Sytry)

Sytry-chan screamed in a high-pitch voice and hugged me.

The Cool me watched the scene with wide eyes for a while and then held his knees as if he had been blown away.

What is happening…… I have no idea.

No, but if you think about it――I am not this cool.

I don’t really get it but even though he looks like me, he looks really strong. Kryhi looks strong too, but this real me looks so much like me that it felt so weird.

It seemed like a hassle, so I gave up pursuing it any further, shifted my gaze to Sora, and quickly got down to business.

“Sora, you know that mask, I gave it to Gaff-san.” (Cry)

“???? ……………………Eh!? ??? Erm… Wai…… What? Why!?” (Sora)

Sora was very confused. From the way she looked at me and the me who was holding his knees alternately, I could tell that she had not grasped the situation at all.

But don’t worry, I have no idea either.

“It was because he looks like he wanted it. And I didn’t need it anymore………… Well, that’s about it, take care of the rest.” (Cry)

“!? Eh……” (Sora)

The so-called criminal hunt that Touka and her group are conducting………… Well, it will settle down after a while. It is not like Touka and her group are my subordinates, and they are much more independent than I am.

I was their intermediary, but I don’t know what happened after that. Maybe they are pleased to have made a connection with the strange but somehow high-spec Fox Mask Fan Club.

All I have to do now――Is to retrieve my wild children.

And then, the real me, who was holding his knees, said.

“……………… I’m leaving, too.” (Imouto Kitsune)

“………… Eh!?!?” (Sora)

By the time I blinked, the real me had changed into the Imouto Kitsune.

A small voice could be heard from behind her mask. As she was holding her knees, she looked very sluggish.

I see…… It is said that fox-type magical beasts have the ability to transform themselves as people, but can the Imouto Kitsune transform herself into people as well? But why was she disguised as me?

Sora’s cheeks *pikupiku* twitched, and she made a disarrayed voice.

“Eh!? Wait, a second! Why!?” (Sora)

The Imouto Kitsune picked up a piece of Aburaage from the pan beside her, *mogumogu* munched on it, properly swallowed it, and then said.

“……………… I got bored of it.” (Imouto Kitsune)

“!? !? !? Bo-Bored…………? Bored of it, you say. Wh-What should I do f-from now on!?” (Sora)

The Imouto Kitsune sighed deeply when she was saying that with a clinging voice.

“He can’t read the mood. I feel bummed out. I can’t do it anymore. I’m going sightseeing and I’m going home. Thanks for the Aburaage.” (Imouto Kitsune)

She really is an irresponsible girl for leaving after getting so far.

………… But sometimes I almost forget that this fox girl was a Phantom in the first place.

“No way………………” (Sora)

When Sora muttered in dismay, the Imouto Kitsune was already gone.

She truly has an absurd and frightening power, doing that even though we should have been watching her.

But Phantoms are usually something absurd.

But to think she had been deceived by that fox…… I feel really sorry for her. I will have to file a complaint to her brother later.

But first, Sora needs help. I am not like the Imouto Kitsune, I am not leaving without saying anything.

Whether I knew what was going on or not, I pushed Sytry’s head, when she was smiling, a few times with the palm of my hand and said.

“Sytry, take care of the rest.” (Cry)

“………… I’m his wife, I’m his wife, I’m his wife.” (Sytry)

………… Don’t get too used to this joke.

§　§　§

Why am I the only one who has to go through all this……

Sora, who was supposed to spend the rest of her life as a “Miko (Shrine Maiden)” of the Fox-God, was completely pushed over the edge by the Boss of that organization.

One of the Bosses, the girl, said she was bored and left the place, and the Boss who was supposed to be a fake gave his mask to Gaff, one of our senior members.

In the first place, just having a situation where the fake knows the real Boss is already ununderstandable, leaving aside the real Boss, having a fake Boss should be deadly for the organization.

After all, it means that there is now one more person possessing the mask――There is now one more Boss that has appeared.

Gaff does not know that the person who gave him the mask is a fake. In the first place, it was Sora who assured him that the person who gave him the mask was the real deal.

The situation was already irreversible.

Even though I am sure I didn’t do anything wrong and was just listening to the Boss, I can’t help but feel like I am trapped.

""

Where the hell did I go wrong? Was it when the mask was in 《Infinite Variety’s (Senpen Banka)》 possession? Was it when Sora made the decision of him being the Boss just by looking at the mask? When I became stubborn when I was questioned by Gaff? Or was it when I didn’t reveal the truth when I found out about it in the middle of it?

There is…… Only one answer.

In the empty kitchen, Sora shouted as if to tell something to herself.

“I, am not wrong! I can say it with all my heart! Byakko-sama, the Boss ordered me to fry Aburaage, so I fried Aburaage! If the Boss said that we would conquer the world with Inari Sushi Bento, then it is my duty as a priestess to follow his order! The Boss’s words are absolute! Doubting it is unforgivable! I did everything I could do!” (Sora)

I feel that even the headquarters I am contacting regularly is in a state of confusion.

In the first place, when the frying Aburaage operation started, we did a major deviation from the organization’s previous moves.

Something is happening. I can feel something inexplicable, a great turn on the wheel of destiny.

Sora misunderstood (Although I didn’t make a mistake) only because I was involved in the change.

The die has already been cast. The “Miko (Shrine Maiden)” of the Fox-God is obligated to be a wise, error-free, mystical being.

We have no use for a “Miko (Shrine Maiden)” who misidentified the Boss. That is why Sora never made any mistakes and will never apologize.

Both the real Boss and the fake Boss told me to fry Aburaage. And that order has not been cancelled.

Keep on frying Aburaage. They told me that was how we would conquer the world. No matter how ridiculous the order may be, as long as we don’t know the intention behind it, we have no choice but to obey.

So Sora’s role is simple. Conquer the world with Aburaage. Yes, as a non-secret organization, the 『Ten Tails of Aburaage (Juubi no Aburaage)』――.

And the rest can be whatever they want, I don’t care.

For Sora, a “Miko (Shrine Maiden) of the Fox-God is just a priestess who serves their god, not a leader who is involved in operating the organization.