Chapter 217: Oko Shinomiya Courting Death

Kaguya Shinomiya was a smart person. Asagiri did not need to spell everything out for her. She had already figured out the logic behind it.

As the eldest son of the Shinomiya Family, the fame and status Oko Shinomiya possessed ultimately came from only one source: his and Kaguya’s father, the current head of the Shinomiya Family, Shinomiya Gan’an.

Yet even though Oko clearly knew that his father despised combat competitions, he still took the initiative to challenge Ashikaga Miwa to one. That meant he needed to raise his own status by entering the fighting world.

Why was he in such a hurry?

The most likely explanation was that he wanted to fight for the position of heir, and that meant something had gone wrong with Shinomiya Gan’an health.

"Although Oko Shinomiya is arrogant and unbearably proud, he is not a fool," Ashikaga Miwa muttered to herself. "If he dared challenge me to a combat competition, then he must have already investigated the fighters under my command and be confident he can win."

She looked at Asagiri, who was seated on the sofa, hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.

"There’s something I want to ask you..."

"You want me to help with the combat competition? No problem."

"Huh?"

Ashikaga Miwa had not expected him to agree so readily. She blinked in surprise.

"Aren’t you usually extremely averse to combat competitions and fighters? Then why..."

"You’re an important collaborator to me."

Asagiri shrugged and replied with a smile.

"You’ve helped me a lot. So when you need help, how could I just stand by? But..."

At that point, he changed his tone.

"If it were a real fight, I’d be absolutely confident in winning. But in an actual combat competition, I might not necessarily win."

"Exactly..."

Ashikaga Miwa frowned. If she did not want Asagiri to expose his identity as a Player, then he would be unable to use abilities such as Personas or Cold Frost Spear in the arena.

Although Asagiri’s physical abilities were terrifying, the top fighters in those tournaments were monsters in their own right, people whose bodies had already surpassed normal human limits. In a true one on one competition, it was hard to say who would come out on top.

"Forget it. I’ll think of another way."

Ashikaga Miwa pushed up her gold rimmed Glasses and let out a quiet sigh.

"I also don’t want you drawing too much attention to yourself. You’re still a student of Shuchiin Academy. If you fight on my behalf in that competition and Oko Shinomiya sets his sights on you afterward, it could cause trouble. It would be better to..."

"Then just kill Oko."

"Huh?"

Ashikaga Miwa was completely caught off guard. She instinctively glanced at Kaguya Shinomiya, who was sitting there in silence.

The eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Family was right there.

Even if their relationship was terrible, they were still siblings. Yet Asagiri had just casually suggested killing Oko Shinomiya right in front of her.

Wasn’t that a bit too much?

Unexpectedly, Kaguya Shinomiya only said calmly, "I will not state an opinion, and I will not speak of what was discussed here today."

"I see..."

Since this was an internal matter of the Shinomiya Family, Ashikaga Miwa was in no position to comment. She only followed up on Asagiri’s idea.

"Kill Oko? Can you do it? The key is leaving no evidence. This is the real world, and the other party is someone as important as Oko Shinomiya. If you cannot do it cleanly, you’ll only bring trouble on yourself."

"As long as I can get access to one of his phones."

Before Ashikaga Miwa could respond, Kaguya Shinomiya spoke in a level voice.

"Let me explain. Oko Shinomiya normally does not carry a phone personally, and he owns several of them, each used to contact different people. I do not know exactly what your ability is, but if it’s something like setting up a trap through a phone, then the odds of successfully killing him are not high. And..."

She paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"I heard there are some unfamiliar faces among his bodyguards recently. They could be Players. It is even possible that the bodyguards around him have already become Players and possess special abilities. So it would be best not to assume killing him will be simple."

Hearing that, Asagiri chuckled lightly.

"Didn’t you just say you would not express an opinion?"

"I meant I would not express approval or opposition. Providing information is a different matter. Otherwise, why would I even be sitting here?"

"From the standpoint of blood relation, Oko is your older brother. Does it really not bother you at all that I plan to kill him?"

"Bother me... perhaps a little. But..."

Kaguya Shinomiya lowered her gaze and turned her face away from him.

That alone was unusual. She had been raised with strict etiquette. Even when she was angry or displeased, she always faced the other person directly. Yet now she looked away, as though she did not want Asagiri to see the changes in her expression.

"I thought about it carefully. If Oko had been in your place back in the Ajin Dungeon, he would never have saved me. He probably would have killed me himself on the way."

Hearing that, Ashikaga Miwa, seated behind the desk, could not help trembling slightly.

Good heavens.

So Asagiri truly had saved Shinomiya’s life.

No wonder the atmosphere between them had felt so strange lately. So that was what had happened.

Ashikaga Miwa kept silent and continued listening.

"After all, in his eyes, I, this illegitimate daughter, am the shame of the Shinomiya Family. My existence only stains the name of Shinomiya."

Compared to her usual composure, just saying the words illegitimate daughter caused a visible ripple in Kaguya’s emotions.

"In comparison..."

She raised her head and looked at Asagiri, then smiled faintly.

"You do not care about things like that, and you saved me. So the answer to whose side I stand on is already obvious."

"Shinomiya."

"Hm?"

"Your personality has changed quite a bit lately."

Kaguya Shinomiya frowned slightly.

"Has it?"

"Yes."

Asagiri nodded without hesitation and smiled.

"For example, back in the classroom earlier, when Kotoko attacked you, you actually argued back. That’s not like you. And you’ve been smiling more often lately too. You’re completely different from the version of you at the start of the school year, the one who looked like a widowed woman who had already lost all capacity for joy or sorrow."

Kaguya Shinomiya fell silent for a second.

"Widowed woman... To describe a high school girl that way, Utsunomiya, you really do leave me not knowing how to respond."

"Then don’t you think it fits?"

"Not at all."

Kaguya tucked her long hair behind her ear and rested both hands on her thighs, maintaining her elegant posture as she replied calmly.

"Perhaps it is because of power. Or rather, not yet power, but the possibility of finally obtaining the power to control my own life. Perhaps that is why my personality has become a little brighter."

"Perhaps."

Asagiri smiled noncommittally, then turned to Ashikaga Miwa.

"If beating the fighter Oko sends into the combat competition would benefit you..."

"It would benefit me greatly."

Ashikaga Miwa answered frankly.

"The Shinomiya Group is an enormous power, after all. And while I look down on Oko Shinomiya as a person, he is still the eldest son of the Shinomiya Family. If the fighter he sends is defeated by the one I send, then word of that will spread quickly. It would be extremely beneficial to my future development in several fields."

"Then that settles it."

"Settles what?"

Asagiri rose from the sofa and said slowly,

"I’ll fight as your representative. Of course, I’ll need a disguise and similar preparations. And once I win, after Oko Shinomiya serves as a stepping stone..."

He looked at Kaguya Shinomiya and finished calmly,

"I’ll kill him."

...

A little later, in front of a train station in Tokyo.

"Asagiri! Over here~"

Hearing Iwanaga Kotoko’s voice, Asagiri looked toward the sound as he stepped into the station.

There, standing together, were three girls with entirely different styles, yet all of them eye catchingly beautiful enough to draw the gaze of nearly everyone around them.

Yuuki Asuna was wearing a plain white short sleeved shirt paired with denim hot pants and white ankle boots. Her outfit was simple and unadorned, but it brought out a clean, gentle kind of beauty. With her long flaxen hair reflecting softly under the afternoon sun and her slender, fair legs, she looked like the perfect girl next door.

Iwanaga Kotoko, as always, had dressed in her own style. She wore a light pink Western style dress with a matching pink ribbon around her neck, along with the white beret Asagiri had given her before. Her legs were wrapped in pure white stockings, and she wore light pink leather shoes. Elegant, adorable, and refined all at once, she looked like a princess from a fairytale.

As for Kato Megumi, her outfit was simpler than the other two. She was still wearing the Private Toyonosaki school uniform, paired with black knee high socks and leather shoes, but her normally loose black medium length hair had been tied into a ponytail. The overall effect made her seem fresh, easygoing, and quietly cute.

"Huh? Why did you come dressed like this?"

Iwanaga Kotoko leaned closer to Asagiri. When she saw that he was still dressed as usual in a black jacket, short sleeved shirt, long pants, and high top shoes, she first sighed in disappointment. Then, looking up at his smiling face, she blushed and muttered in a voice barely above a whisper,

"Even though you are still as handsome as ever, I was kind of looking forward to seeing you wear something different for this trip..."

.....

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