Chapter 239: The Arataki Gang's External Brain
"…This is going to be a problem."
Perched atop a lookout tower belonging to a Hilichurl tribe, Bai Luo stood beside Yae Miko, both of them gazing out at a distant bonfire.
Behind them, the Hilichurls of the camp lay sprawled on the ground, trembling in fear.
Around the bonfire sat none other than the members of the Arataki Gang.
Both Bai Luo and Yae Miko were far from ordinary, and even from this distance, they could clearly make out what was going on.
Bai Luo, who knew a bit of lip-reading, could even figure out what they were talking about.
"Oh? So you know a little about that Kuki Clan girl too, hmm?"
Yae Miko naturally picked up on what Bai Luo meant by "a problem."
It was almost certainly referring to that Kuki.
After all, the Arataki Gang had survived this long without being kicked out of Hanamizaka largely thanks to her.
And Kuki Shinobu herself—once an apprentice shrine maiden at the Grand Narukami Shrine—was someone she was all too familiar with.
Come to think of it... she still had an old photo of her from back then.
Not that the girl probably ever imagined that Yae Miko would keep such a thing for so long.
"The external brain of the Arataki Gang, huh? If we can deal with her, then the whole gang will be putty in our hands," Bai Luo muttered, though his eyes weren't focused on the juicy red apples in Yae Miko's chest… Rather, he was eyeing the Sunsettia nestled there.
"When we set out, I told you—there's a child at the shrine who loves these fruits. They're simple, but perfect for replenishing energy. Let's bring her one," she had said earlier.
Now whether she sensed something off about the fruit thanks to that mysterious "worldly insight" of hers, or whether Sayu had already warned her about the Sunsettia's effects—either way, Yae Miko hadn't eaten it.
The question now was… how to trick her into doing so?
"I can handle Shinobu. Leave her to me," Yae Miko said with a faint giggle, covering her mouth with her sleeve.
Though her interactions with Shinobu had been limited, she understood the girl better than most.
Had it not been for her speaking up back then, not even Shinobu's older sister would've been able to convince the Kuki Clan to let her go abroad.
So yes, she was very familiar with the girl's weaknesses.
As she spoke, her form shimmered and shifted—she now looked like a shrine maiden, holding a lantern in her hand.
One bright enough to be noticed even from far off in the night.
—Back to the Arataki Gang.
"Boss, this one's ripe."
Shinobu took out her blade, slicing open the violet rind of a Lavender Melon. She sniffed it, then gave a satisfied nod.
"…Wait, it's not one of those weird faded ones, right?"
Before accepting the fruit, Itto seemed to recall something traumatic and eyed it suspiciously.
Sure, it smelled nice, but last time he ate one that smelled this good, it almost sent his soul flying to the afterlife.
"Relax, I bought this from town. It's perfectly safe," Shinobu reassured him.
She hadn't eaten the fruit that day, but she didn't think it had been the melon's fault.
Itto's reaction had looked an awful lot like a food allergy—maybe to soybeans.
Either the mysterious Sunsettia was actually some mutant kind of legume, or someone had spiked the fruit with soy products.
Either way—it probably wasn't a big deal.
"…Hm?"
Just as she handed over the melon, Shinobu caught a glimpse of something in the distance—and froze.
A shrine maiden walking from the direction of the Grand Narukami Shrine, carrying a lantern in hand.
That was… her sister, wasn't it?
And judging by her path, she was heading toward Konda Village.
Crap.
If her sister found out that she, freshly returned from studying in Liyue, had joined the Arataki Gang of all things… She was definitely going to get scolded.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
No—she'd absolutely be forced to quit the gang.
That was something Shinobu could not allow to happen.
"B-Boss, you guys eat without me. I gotta take care of something real quick."
Grabbing her mask from nearby, Shinobu quickly slid it over her face and lowered her voice, as if being quiet would somehow make her invisible from that far away.
"Huh? What's the matter? Are you going to get your Vision back or something? Hold up—I'm coming with you!" Itto shouted, already getting up.
Upon hearing Shinobu's words, Arataki Itto, ever the dramatic one, smashed the Lavender Melon onto the ground without hesitation, grabbed his weapon, and was already gearing up to follow her.
Shinobu winced.
Sure, those melons weren't exactly expensive, but with their current situation, every bit of food counted. That had been their emergency stash.
"…This isn't something you guys can help with," she muttered, eyes flicking toward the distant figure approaching with a lantern in hand.
Her sister was looking in their direction.
Without thinking, Shinobu subtly shifted, trying to hide behind Itto. Given his… well, size and general vibe, he made for a good visual shield.
"Come on, Shinobu! What're you saying? We're the Arataki Gang! A family! If you need help getting your Vision back, then of course we'll help!" Itto declared, full of passion and righteous fury.
"That's right! We support Shinobu!"
"Go, Shinobu, go!"
The gang fired up immediately, voices rising in a raucous chorus. Even the birds nearby flapped into the air in a panic, disturbed by the volume of their support.
"You idiots! I'm just going to the bathroom—why would you follow me for that?!"
At this point, her sister had definitely noticed the commotion and was already walking over, lantern bobbing gently in the dark.
Shinobu panicked.
Without any time to think, she lowered her body and launched herself forward, vanishing into the shadows with a speed that defied belief.
The others could only stare, mouths slightly agape.
"…Looks like Shinobu really was in a hurry."
"Yeah. Besides that time she almost got locked up for releasing those fish, I've never seen her move that fast."
Itto slowly put his weapon down, sighing as he reached toward the ground—only to realize something horrifying.
"—Wait a sec. My Lavender Melon. Where the heck is my melon?! Who was the animal that smashed it?!"
The shrine maiden who had been approaching paused in her steps when she noticed that Shinobu had vanished.
Then, without a word, she too disappeared into the night.
Neither Itto nor the swiftly departing Shinobu realized one crucial detail.
She was not alone.
Trailing silently behind her, unnoticed, was another presence.
And by the time she sensed something wrong, it was too late.
A man stepped out of the shadows. Tall, dressed in a black coat.
A white mask covering his face.
A wooden stick in his hand.
"…You're… that Mr. Bai?" Shinobu said cautiously.
Black coat. White mask.
Exactly the description Itto had given her of that mysterious man: Bai Luo.
So it was him. But why was he here? Was it because of something Itto had done?
"You—"
"What's this?"
Before she could finish, Bai Luo interrupted, raising the stick in his hand and examining it as if in thought.
"…Obviously, it's a wooden—"
THWACK!
A dull bonk rang out.
Shinobu grunted as the stick struck her cleanly.
"Wrong answer. This—" he said, tone calm and almost clinical, "—is the Bai-Style Deep Hypnosis Baton."
. . . . .
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