Chapter 81: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

Fantasy—unrealistic, illogical imaginings, yet those who sink into fantasy feel a beauty unattainable in reality. For fantasy is born from the depths of one’s personal imagination.

The Lovechoriss World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament was a battle of imagined love. After the champions of the Momomomo Group and the Sheath Flower Group had been decided, the more unassuming, less conventionally attractive Hirako Group was forgotten altogether. The fantasy warriors of the Hirako Group (what on earth are those?!) launched an assault on the host.

As a member of the Hirako Group, Take Okakura found it utterly embarrassing to compete alongside this bunch of fools, but for a chance to enter the finals, she forced herself to seize the opportunity.

The master of ceremonies glanced at the remaining members of the Hirako Group, then pointed at Take Okakura’s team. “By unanimous decision of the judges, contestant 287 from the Hirako Group advances to the finals.”

The three judges raised their paddles, awarding a perfect score of 100.

“Huh?” Take Okakura was surprised—her group hadn’t done anything yet, so how had they made it to the finals?

The rest of the Hirako Group erupted in protest.

“What’s this nonsense! My Gin hasn’t even appeared yet, how can you decide who wins already?” Little Monkey shouted, livid.

“Exactly! My Young Master hasn’t even had a lovelove moment with me yet, how can you crown a champion? It’s unfair, a total fix!” Higashijo Bu hollered, thoroughly agitated.

“Yeah, we haven’t done anything at all!” Gin shouted loudly.

The judges, listless, glanced at Gin’s Hirako. “That’s good enough. Just take her to the corner of the restroom and do whatever you please.”

“Stop kidding around! Do you know why I even entered this disgusting tournament?” Gin protested, exasperated.

“Let me ask you, would you really go on a date with Hirako?” the judge fixed Gin with a pointed question.

“Do you truly want to kiss her? Are you here to prove your love for Hirako by joining this tournament?” The judge’s questions struck Gin like a boulder. He was stunned.

“No... Those details aren’t important. I just want to reach the finals...” Gin tried to change the subject.

“Answer the question. Do you truly love Hirako?” The judge pressed on.

Gin awkwardly glanced at Hirako beside him, who silently turned her head away.

“O-of course I love her, damn it!” Gin finally answered after a moment of internal struggle.

The venue fell silent.

Kinshi watched the farce unfold with a smile, amused. But then the sound of clattering came from nearby.

Turning, he saw Take Okakura standing with clenched fists, eyes wide and teeth gritted, looking fierce.

She watched the anxious Gin in the crowd, feeling her anger about to burst forth. That bastard was such a smooth-talking scoundrel!

Fine, she would see whose Hirako was stronger, whose love for Hirako ran deeper!

Go to hell, you curly-haired fool—she would defeat his pale fantasy, damn it!

“Kinshi...” Take Okakura grabbed Kinshi’s hand, her lips curling into a sinister smile. “We must be the Hirako Group’s victors this time.”

“...” Kinshi.

She’s… not quite the same as usual!

Gin’s confession shocked the host and judges, who decided to give the Hirako Group a chance. Given the group’s mature woman motif (…), the judges threw them a fastball: the date location would be—a love hotel!

“Hold it—! Everyone else gets amusement parks or zoos, why are we at a sports complex? Isn’t that way too rushed? Shouldn’t we be looking further ahead, safeguarding our future together?” Gin protested once more.

Take Okakura glanced at the hotel, then at Gin still complaining. She decided to seize the initiative…

“Ah! The first team has set off! Hirako Group 287 is charging ahead!” the host cried in surprise.

Take Okakura pulled Kinshi to stand in front of the love hotel’s entrance. Looking back at the other stunned Hirako Group members, her lips twisted in a triumphant smile.

Victory would be hers!

“Kinshi! Come, let’s go inside,” Take Okakura declared loudly, pointing at the hotel.

“…” Kinshi.

“Take Okakura, do you know what it means for a man and woman to enter a love hotel together?” Kinshi asked hesitantly.

“What else could it mean? A hotel is for sleeping, isn’t it?” Take Okakura replied.

“Ah, so refreshingly direct—287’s Hirako is certainly bold!” the host exclaimed.

“Shut up! Kinshi, let’s go inside,” Take Okakura said, dragging Kinshi into the hotel, ignoring how the host always mistook her for Hirako.

“All right, 287 has made their move. What about the other members of the Hirako Group?” The host began to stir things up.

The remaining Hirako Group members began to act. At the entrance, Higashijo Bu was KO’d by the manager, Little Monkey managed to get her Hirako Gin inside, and then it was Gin’s turn…

He crossed paths with Momomomo Group and Sheath Flower Group.

Inside the hotel, Take Okakura KO’d the manager who popped up, then sat in a suite with Kinshi, watching the unfolding battle.

Outside the hotel, Shinpachi and his confidante had already broken through the third base barrier, happily heading toward the forbidden love hotel.

The Okita Group experienced a dramatic reversal; the always-masochistic Sheath Flower finally found her fill of suffering and switched roles, turning Okita into her submissive. The queen Sheath Flower dragged her servant Okita into the hotel.

At last, only Sakata Gin and his Hirako remained standing at the entrance…

Gin was stiff all over, his mouth twitching and eyes vacant as he stared at the hotel door, feeling utterly lacking in courage to step inside…

His heart wailed—someone save Gin-san!

The crowd was growing restless.

“Go back!”

“No one ever invited Hirako to this contest!”

“Get lost!”

…

Under a barrage of jeers, Gin silently stood beside the dejected Hirako, head bowed, sweat pouring down as he stared at the floor.

Kondo, Gin’s staunch supporter, began to cheer him on: “No one else but you is Hirako’s boyfriend! Show them what it means to be a boyfriend, a girlfriend, and…”

“What love is! Stand up, ah ah ah ah!” Kondo’s shouts sparked a golden light effect from Gin’s crotch, accompanied by a gale that dazzled everyone’s eyes—Gin’s “○○” stood up with great effort!

“Ahh, what’s with this whirlwind?” All the toppled otaku exclaimed in shock.

A white cloth drifted up and then fell to the floor…

“What are you doing? You blew off my scarf,” a cold female voice sounded.

Everyone turned to the speaker… It was Hirako!

“Pfft!” Take Okakura, watching from inside the hotel, spat out her beer.

“Cough, cough, cough…” She wiped the beer from her nose, then leaned in for a better look at the TV.

No mistake—another version of her appeared on the screen!

What was going on?!

“That—doesn’t she look exactly like the Hirako created by 287?!” the host cried in astonishment.

“Is that how Hirako’s ultimate form is set?”

“Who decided that! I told you I’m the genuine article!” Take Okakura roared, wanting to storm out and pummel the host.

“Impossible, Hirako’s become so beautiful—can she really be Hirako?” the otaku murmured in disbelief.

“Isn’t it obvious?” In the midst of the crowd, Gin pulled the Hirako who looked just like Take Okakura into his arms, rubbing his face against hers. “She’s… my woman.”

Thump, thump, thump! Take Okakura’s heart raced uncontrollably, blood surging so fast she nearly collapsed.

“That bastard, toying with me like that—unforgivable.” Take Okakura stammered, staring at the TV.

Kinshi’s face darkened as he watched Gin on the screen. He hadn’t expected the man to possess such power to alter the program—truly worthy of being his prototype…

Sakata Gin—a man who made him deeply uneasy.

In the hall, Okakura Hirako (…) emerged, transformed by Gin’s adult fantasy battling reality. Even her son Chengdu became a handsome young man, while her tsundere traits made the surrounding otaku bleed with adoration.

Tsundere is the ultimate moe!

Okakura Hirako blushed deeply, her eyes flickering as she said, “I… am not the kind of woman who comes to places like this with men I don’t like…”

“…” Take Okakura, feeling it odd to hear Hirako say such words with her own face.

On the screen, Gin deftly hauled Okakura Hirako into the hotel, tossing her onto the bed. This bold, practiced move made every otaku spray nosebleeds—it was so manly!

Standing at the bedside, Gin began to remove his clothes…

“What nonsense! Even if the real body is Hirako, the face is mine now, and I won’t allow him to mess around!” Take Okakura jumped to her feet, intent on hunting Gin down and kicking him out.

As she moved to leave, her hand was seized. Turning, she saw Kinshi gripping her wrist tightly.

“What are you doing—ah!” Take Okakura cried out, surprised as Kinshi deftly flipped her onto the bed.

Kinshi climbed onto the bed, pinning Take Okakura beneath him. He held her wrist and whispered in her ear, “Take Okakura… Didn’t you say you wanted to win the championship? We can’t let them beat us.”

“Let go of me,” Take Okakura said coldly, glaring at Kinshi.

“If you don’t let go, you’ll regret it.”

“Am I not allowed? Just because I’m only a game program, am I not enough?” Kinshi asked in a low, earnest voice.

“No. If I don’t like someone, no one is allowed,” Take Okakura replied coldly.

“I see…” Kinshi’s body flickered, and suddenly Take Okakura realized the person pinning her was now the manager…

“?” The manager looked at Take Okakura in confusion, surprised the group’s ‘owner’ was actually female.

Take Okakura wasted no time kicking him off, then stood and tidied her hair.

On the screen, she saw Gin’s lower half already pixelated, oblivious as he continued his duel with Shinpachi…

“Why does someone like him exist, sigh…” Take Okakura sighed, slipping off her jacket as she left the room.

Inside the venue, the contest was over—Gin had used his fantasy to defeat reality, saving those lost in unrealistic dreams, but his dignity as a man was utterly destroyed…

Gin tried to shield himself with a tiny game console, hoping it would hide his Armstrong cannon, but the cannon’s selling point was its petite elegance.

The little console was no match for Gin’s mighty Armstrong cannon…

Just then, a gray jacket fell from the sky, covering Gin’s head.

“Cover yourself up! Don’t let your filthy things pollute the eyes of a pure maiden,” Take Okakura said, arms folded.

Gin took her jacket from his head and slowly tied it around his waist.

“Why… was the fantasy you conjured up me?” After holding back for so long, Take Okakura finally asked Gin the question.

Gin slowly raised his head, grinning as he gazed at her blushing face. “As expected, you’re such a dishonest woman.”

“Huh? What did you say?” Take Okakura’s face grew redder—if she looked in the mirror now, she’d find her expression no different from the tsundere Okakura Hirako moments ago.

“Take…” Gin suddenly called her name.

“Mm? What is it?” Take Okakura watched Gin approach, legs trembling but unable to move, not at all.

“Don’t come any closer! You look like a sleazy pervert—stay away from me!” Take Okakura cried in panic.

In the next instant, Gin strode up to her, seized her chin, lowered his head, his crimson eyes locked on hers, and his low, chuckling voice sent shivers through her.

“Don’t you know? Mature adults are very direct.” With that, Gin lowered his head and kissed her.

“Mm…” Take Okakura froze, eyes wide as she stared at Gin mere centimeters away, the warmth on her lips making her panic as she struggled to break free.

But Gin deepened the kiss, holding Take Okakura tightly and pressing her against the hard wall. In her struggle, she accidentally yanked off Gin’s jacket from his waist, and his hot Armstrong cannon jabbed her in the abdomen…

Boom! Take Okakura was shattered.

In the empty venue, all she heard was her own heartbeat and Gin’s ragged breathing opposite her.

She felt as if she’d fallen into sticky, molten syrup, unable to extricate herself…

“Gin-san, I’ve borrowed a staff uniform…” Over here, Shinpachi, panting and dressed in staff clothes, rushed in. He was greeted by a horrifying sight, and after removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes to ensure it wasn’t a game hallucination…

“Ahhhhh! What are you doing!” he screamed.