Editing Leviathan:Volume 4 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 4===

"You finally noticed me, Harry."

Smiling sweetly, Luna Francois greeted Hal, making him feel slightly intimidated.

"W-When did you arrive?"

"Seven minutes and thirty-two seconds ago. I deliberately kept quiet because you looked like you were concentrating. However, Harry, it was not boring because I had a good long look at your serious countenance, fufu," said Luna Francois with effortless readiness.

Hal felt his heart flutter again. Indeed, she was very attractive, but it was also true that this pounding of his heart was mixed with a certain subtle unease.

Her affections could very well be a display made on strategic considerations at most.

While the image of his black-haired classmate inexplicably surfaced, Hal shrugged and said, "I think there's actually no point in this kind of skit. You have ulterior motives and I am well aware of it, so it feels like more of a turn-off."

"I never thought you'd be this impatient, Harry. The game is still in the opening stage, you know?"

Luna Francois' reply was slightly taunting.

"Our battle is just about to begin. Besides, the serialization has not been scheduled to end yet. Spectacular events and developments will be unfolding one after another next, so please look forward to them."

"No, you're just playing coquette with me."

Without intending to denounce her, Hal simply refuted her calmly.

"In truth, you don't plan on giving me a taste of anything real. You're just trying to use me and string me along with hopes of good things that might happen. As soon as I demand a reward you'll surely finesse your way out of it to escape."

Hers was akin to a certain Japanese beauty's signature talent in deceiving a third-generation gentleman thief named after his grandfather of French nationality. However, Luna Francois frowned with displeasure at Hal's accusation (this was probably an act).

"Well, what an awful thing to say. On what basis are you asserting this?"

"A conclusion drawn from the statistical results of a verbal survey. I've heard from Asya about you. She's already witnessed scenes of you rejecting guys on no less than dozens of occasions. You never date anyone, not even with a mindset of playing around. When I posed the same question to acquaintances at SAURU, everyone gave the exact same answer."

"I'm impressed, Harry. In terms of the thoroughness of our methods, we are definitely quite alike."

Luna Francois stood up suddenly from her chair.

She walked over to Hal, bringing the two of them extremely close. The American maiden's beautiful face and wondrous body was right before his eyes.

Then she stood there while Hal sat cross-legged on his beach chair.

This relative positioning established a certain situation. Two massive round bulges were in front of Hal's face, announcing their presence, emphasizing their alluring volume that rivaled cantaloupes, not to mention suppleness and elasticity that could not possibly be found in any type of fruit.

Furthermore, Luna Francois was slowly crossing her arms in front of her chest.

As though using her arms to raise her bust, it seemed especially intentional during times like these.

"Indeed, I, Luna Francois Gregory, might be a cold-hearted woman without any interest in boys. Perhaps I am a cruel woman who derives pleasure from mercilessly rejecting boys who fall in love with me. However&mdash;"

Luna lifted her arms lightly and lowered them again. As a result, Hal witnessed it.

That instant when those two round and heavy objects shook with a wobble&mdash;

"Doesn't there exist a possibility where even someone like me could be swooned by your manliness and seriously fall in love when interrogated by you, Harry, with your meticulous intelligence gathering? What do you think?"

"No, I don't think so. After all, I'm not manly at all."

"A game of love is merely a cover story for hiding embarrassment. As a tsundere girl unable to express her affection honestly, my only choice is to make advances on you by using that type of excuse... How about this interpretation?"

"Unrealistic and unconvincing."

"I... really like you. Do you think I'm lying?"

"Yes, totally a lie."

Repeatedly, he refuted her cleanly and decisively.

Luna Francois stared at Hal with a smile then said, "Then here is my final question. Is your heart pounding right now?"

"N-No. Absolutely none of that. Japanese people don't lie."

"Fufu. Although we are birds of a feather, Harry, there are aspects where we're unlike. For example, I am evidently the better liar."

"......"

Hal had been able to refute Luna resolutely until now.

However, his defenses were crushed at the very end. Involuntarily, his gaze kept chasing after those wobbling female weapons in front of him. Gradually, he became unable to ignore that devastating power.

"By the way, personally, I intend to enjoy this game patiently," said Luna with a smile while maintaining her posture with her arms framing her bosom.

"The difficulty level seems higher than I'd imagined, so I shall get serious. Sure enough, the motivation becomes completely different when there is a distinct rival."

"R-Rival?"

"Yes. Speaking of which, Asya is merely your childhood friend and can be dismissed completely. However, Hazumi-san's potential cannot be underestimated and more importantly, there is Orihime-san."

"You're saying Juujouji is your rival?"

"This is the reason. Although I only caught a slight glimpse, wasn't the mood between you two quite excellent last night? Seriously, Harry, I can't believe you said something like that to Orihime-san."

"D-Don't get the wrong idea. Juujouji and I are only... only..."

How to express the sense of comfort from that time?

Hal shook his head in a dilemma, but was immediately confronted with a different question&mdash;Why would Luna Francois know about his conversation with Orihime last night?

Perhaps reading the doubt in his mind, the blonde witch smiled.

"Allow me to reveal the answer. I was actually just baiting you for confirmation, because the mood between you two felt a bit suspicious last night."

"Ehhhh!?"

"So there we have it. I still haven't revealed my entire hand to you yet, Harry. Hence, this game will begin in earnest next. Let us enjoy ourselves together thoroughly, okay?"

"......"

"Of course, I do have some delectable treats lined up for you."

''Say whatever you want, but talk is cheap.''

Despite thinking that, Hal could not tear his eyes away from the two round and full objects before his eyes.


"Girls are definitely scary."

"Despite saying that, your foolish susceptibility to her charms is written on your face..."

While Hal was muttering poignantly to himself, Hinokagutsuchi manifested and mocked him.

The location was the lobby on the ground floor of a hot spring inn. In this spacious public area, the two of them were sitting on a bench in the corner. Incidentally, the inn's reception desk was also here.

The inn's basic concept was "Japanese" but the interior decor was not executed in pure classical Japanese style.

The building was constructed using steel-reinforced concrete. Half of the rooms were western while the other half were Japanese. All washrooms had western toilet seats with electronic bidets installed. Everywhere had modern interior decoration with comfort as a priority.

The current location would be analogous to a western hotel's entrance hall.

"Can't be helped. I'm a guy after all."

While staring at his laptop, scanning through materials, Hal retorted.

"It's only normal for men to conceal a lustful nature worth a dozen lechers or two, right?"

"In that case, you should put it into action more boldly. However, if you were to attack openly, that little girl will simply feign compliance, create a diversion and escape."

"Figures, a queen like you thinks so too?"

"Mm-hmm. By the way, I would handle girls of that sort by pinning them down by force directly. Through slightly forceful measures, I would impress upon them a queen's dignity and tender affection, causing them to submit from the bottom of their hearts, thereby joining the ranks of my priestesses&mdash;"

"Good grief, how much sexual harassment did you commit in the past!?"

Always dressed in a scarlet kimono in the past, Hinokagutsuchi was currently wearing the inn's yukata. The fabric's pattern and the color of the sash were both in brilliant scarlet.

Facing the former dragon that used to be known as the Crimson Queen, Hal asked, "By the way, were all your targets girls?"

"That goes without saying. As if anyone would make a move on squalid men."

"Were they all humans in race?"

"Fufufu. And what if they were?"

"Nothing much. You promised to cooperate with my information gathering as much as possible, right?"

"I am willing to answer truthfully if your questions are motivated by the spirit of research without a shred of lustful intentions. If your intention is to simply listen to salacious gossip, then I am not obliged to respond. Is that clear?"

"......"

"Despite the shrewd airs you normally put on, to think that you failed to negotiate or strike a bargain when encountering such a situation. You are too pathetic, brat."

After making a fool out of Hal, Hinokagutsuchi suddenly changed the subject.

"By the way, aren't you searching for clues for the remainder of the investigation? Why did you select this location? Wouldn't shutting yourself away in a quiet location be better?"

"As for that, think about it this way."

Taking his gaze off the laptop screen, Hal looked into the depths of the corridor.

"It's not every day that all of us are at a hot spring, but regrettably, I cannot enter the female bath. However, perhaps a major incident might happen in the female bath, such as a fire or a guest suddenly taking ill. I am waiting here for unexpected situations of that sort."

Hal answered solemnly with a serious face.

"It would be excusable for me to enter the female bath completely naturally as a guy if it's because an emergency demands that I arrive to the rescue immediately. If Juujouji, Shirasaka or Luna happened to be in the bath at the time&mdash;Ah, undoubtedly the creation of precious memories. And currently, the girls are all taking a bath."

"Wishful thinking, fool."

"But without action, nothing would begin at all. I'm gambling on that 1% probability."

No matter how closeted in his desires, Hal still carried a gentleman's pride.

Criminal intentions such as voyeurism were nonexistent. The current approach was an idea he had racked his brain to come up with while allowing his own desires and social morals to coexist, but&mdash;

"So that is how it is, I understand now."

Hinokagutsuchi put on a solemn expression and whispered, "Simply stated, you are the type of man who turns into an idiot whenever women are involved."