Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

Creak—

A door creaked open in the deathly still moonlight as Haruno tiptoed into the guest room.

She froze upon finding Daiki sitting there, watching her with cold eyes.

"Miss Haruno, isn't it rather late to be wandering about?" He rested his chin on his hand, speaking with calculated interest.

The conflict between the Yukinoshita family and the Matsushita group was deadly serious. Through his work hunting Evil Spirits, Daiki had glimpsed the true extent of their power struggle.

"Mr. Daiki, please help save the Yukinoshita family. We will agree to any conditions within our power!"

This was the second time Daiki had witnessed such a perfect dogeza bow.

The first had been when Ginko sought to decide an ancient shōgi manual's fate through a game — she had worn a loose bathrobe then, unknowingly revealing her charm.

But Haruno was deliberately accentuating her figure. From where he sat, her curves were alluring.

"What could the Yukinoshita family possibly offer that would interest me?"

His cold words made Haruno's heart clench.

Her greatest fear was that he would either stay silent or make impossible demands. Silence would mean their meager offerings held no appeal. Outrageous demands would merely trade one deadly situation for another.

Either way, Haruno would be left with nothing. The only card the Yukinoshita family had left to play was herself — their princess.

Yet this man already had beauties surrounding him: Ginko Sora, the shōgi prodigy, sat beside him in class. Fumino Furuhashi, the sleeping beauty of literature, sat in front. His girlfriend was Miku Nakano, one of the famed Nakano quintuplets.

According to Yukino's analysis, they held few bargaining chips.

Haruno rose gracefully and crawled toward him.

"Don't tell me... big sister isn't to Daiki-kun's taste either..."

Her sweet breath caressed his Adam's apple and trailed down his neck. Her vulnerable posture, which could be controlled with just one hand, made it impossible to look away. The majestic curves of her figure came into breathtaking view.

The usually gracious and dignified Young Lady Yukinoshita now crawled submissively, seeking his favor. The contrast was striking.

Haruno refused to believe Daiki could remain unmoved.

Her only regret was not having cultivated an ice queen persona earlier. Such a cold personality might have made this moment even more effective.

Daiki raised his fingertip, and Haruno brought her chin closer. The sensation was like stroking the neck of a docile kitten. Occasionally, the kitten's paw would reach toward Big Daiki's down there.

"Daiki-kun, if you resolve the family crisis, I'll let you do whatever you want! When I take control of the family, the Yukinoshita clan will be your strongest ally!"

The moment she finished speaking, his finger stopped moving.

Haruno's heart leaped into her throat, pounding wildly. She couldn't tell which words had been wrong.

"So I can do whatever I want only after resolving the crisis?"

"You can start right now!" She answered immediately.

Then she eagerly pounced on him, making the moonlight even more enchanting.

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『Host has collected Haruno Yukinoshita!』

『Reward: Cultivation Method — The Art of Breathing!』

The cold mechanical voice faded away into the surging night.

After a long while, breathing heavily, Haruno tried to crawl out from under the covers. Her delicate foot was caught by a large hand and pulled back in.

As time passed, the night grew increasingly dim and cold.

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In the shrine's guest room, Nino's beautiful eyes fluttered open.

"Itsuki and the others must be sound asleep by now." She whispered as she quietly rose and crept into the cold corridor.

The empty hallway brought a smile to her face — this was precisely why she hadn't booked a large suite.

'Daiki-kun's room should be just around the corner.' She thought, feeling her way through the darkness.

At the corner, her hand brushed against another's, making her heart skip a beat in fright.

Around the corner, Haruno also held her breath, the intense anticipation she'd been holding nearly making her legs buckle.

"Miss Nino?"

"Miss Haruno?"

They stared at each other, equally startled.

However, as the future heir of the Yukinoshita family, Haruno's composure and emotional control far surpassed her companion's.

She spoke first, "Miss Nino, why are you wandering around so late?"

Already nervous, Nino grew even more flustered at the question.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"Oh? Isn't there one in your guest room?"

"That toilet is clogged." As the words left her mouth, Nino realized how naturally lies could flow.

But she knew one lie would require another to maintain it. If Haruno continued questioning, she'd soon be trapped in her own deceptions.

"And you, Miss Haruno? What brings you out at this hour?" She asked, trying to deflect attention.

Haruno maintained perfect composure as she replied wearily, "With the family crisis unresolved, sleep eludes me."

Nino's lips parted, but no words came. The conflict between the Yukinoshita family and the Matsushita group remained a mystery to her.

Yet the fact that the Matsushita group had attempted armed assassination of her family members showed their conflict had reached a point of no return. This wasn't something she could discuss.

"Miss Haruno, try not to worry. Heaven helps those who deserve it."

Haruno responded to the comfort with, "I hope you're right. Miss Nino, shall we walk together? I need to visit the bathroom as well."

"Ah? O-okay, let's go." Nino's smile grew stiff.

At this point, she had no choice but to accompany Haruno.

Despite her masterful acting, she hadn't detected anything suspicious.

But what the elder Yukinoshita sister didn't realize was that Nino wasn't the only one who had stirred from sleep.

From the room adjacent to Haruno's, another figure emerged.

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T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

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