Chapter 230


    With my hands on the controller, I maneuvered as best I could in the first course, but all the obstacles got in my way.


    Shuuto was really into it. He groaned when I fell off the road and pumped his fist when I struck an opponent with an item.


    "You''re gaining on ''em. Faster, Saeko!" Shuuto urged me.


    "I''m trying!" I muttered.


    Hitomi was the one in the front. She was in first, and I was in second. Shuuto''s ghostly hands fell atop mine as if trying to lead me on, then— we bumped her off the road on thest leg of the race. Mikami and Taira overtook Hitomi, leaving the former student council presidentst.


    "Whew… Since I won, that means I choose a gyoza for Hitomi to eat… This one." I pointed to the rightmost one on the te.


    Hitomi tossed the entire thing into her mouth and shrugged. It wasn''t the one that was sauced up with Naga Viper. Damn. Two left. We immediately went into the second round, and thepetitiveness between the contestants was heating up.


    "Your eyes getting tired, Saeko? I''m catching up with my bullet power!" Hitomi warned.


    "No, you don''t!" I managed to slide away just in time, and she hit Mikami instead.


    "Drats!" Mikami cursed under her breath.


    "C''mon. C''mon! We''re so close!" Shuuto with his hands on my own again.


    In the veryst spurt, Hitomi came in first, I came in second, Mikami was third, and Taira wasst. There was never a more defeated look in my senpai''s face, because she had to possibly eat a second nuclear gyoza. Hitomi picked one for her to eat, and she struggled to even put it in her mouth.


    When Taira finally decided to get it over with, her demeanor was awash with utter relief. It looked like she was finally able to enjoy gyoza again. However, the battlle wasn''t over yet.


    There was one more. Thest one 100% was the Naga Viper sauce-filled gyoza. As we began the third and final race, Shuuto joined me again with his hands over mine to hold the controller. The track was Rainbow Road, and his eyes lit up when he saw it.


    Shuuto was so into the race, that he was practically leaning into it. Kana noticed from off to the side. Even though I used to be a boy myself, I hadn''t realized guys were so serious about video games. Maybe it was just Mario Kart that brought thepetitive streak out of everyone.


    "Shit!" Shuuto cursed after we fell off the track and had to be rescued by thekitu.


    Crap. I almost forgot <i>I</i> was the one racing. We fell to fourth ce because of my mishap, but the other three were engaged in some bloody warfare. A red shell knocked Mikami and Taira back, and I overtook them. Keeping this ce was fine, since it meant I wouldn''t need to eat thest gyoza. But we wanted to win.


    "AHHH! I don''t want to eat the spicy gyoza again!" Taira cried.


    The Switch controller''s movement stick was digging into my thumb, and my chest was beating harder than when I was having sex. A part of me wanted to use my subus magic to cheat, but that would be disingenuous.


    "You''re really fired up about this, Saeko. Afraid to eat the gyoza?" Hitomi asked as we were head to head.


    "There''s that, and I want to beat you!" I picked up the banana power and lobbed them in front of her.


    It only took one hit, and Hitomi spun out of control and allowed me to pass her.


    "Nice shot, Saeko!" Shuuto beamed.


    With that, we crossed the finish line. Hitomi came second, and Taira got third by the skin of her teeth, and finally Mikami in fourth.


    Shuuto was so excited, he leaped from the couch and roared victoriously.


    "YES! In your faces!" Shuuto taunted the otherpetitors even though they couldn''t hear. He then grabbed my hand and shook it like crazy.


    Before I realized it, I was jumping up and down with him. At least until people started looking at me weird. Defeated, Mikami grabbed thest gyoza. She ate it in two bites, then like a refined woman, wiped her lips with a napkin. All of us watched with bated breath for Mikami to start dying like the sadists we were.


    Unfortunately, that agony never came.


    "Was… Was there no hot sauce in it after all?" Taira asked.


    "No way. I dabbed a shit ton in there!" Mio eximed, shaking her almost empty bottle.


    Mikami burped into the back of her hand and giggled. "It just so happens that I rather like spicy food. This was a nice treat, so thank you, Acolyte Mio."


    "Aww, man. I wanted someone to suffer!" she groaned in disappointment.


    Shuuto tugged on my arm and gestured out the front door. I thought he wanted to fuck me in private, but he had a content look on his face.


    "I''m going to get some air. Mikami, can youe with me?" I asked the resident exorcist.


    "Of course, Acolyte Saeko." Mikami licked her fingers and followed me out.


    We left to go outside. The frigid December chill made me wish we were in summer break again. Aozora Heights'' parking lot was about the most private ce we could find. Thankfully, no one was around, so we were able to upy a smoking booth that offered a modicum of shelter from the elements.


    "Could it be? Are you finally ready for me to exorcise the ghost, or perhaps it has agreed to move on?" Mikami asked.


    "The second part. So, what brought this on anyway? Not that I mind. I''m quite frankly excited that you''re ready to move on." I folded my arms.


    "To tell you the truth, I''m not sure. But after ying Mario Kart with you, ying with the others, and having people cheering around us… I got to thinking. I want to experience youth again, and if I have to pass on in order for that to happen, I''ll take it. I''ll do things differently instead of being a shut-in. Get myself a girlfriend, too!" He clenched his fists, filling with resolve.


    I ryed that back to Mikami, and she sounded convinced Shuuto truly was ready to pass on. One would have guessed he had some apprehension about it. But maybe being a ghost for a while had given him some different perspectives.


    "One more thing before I go. Can, uh… Can I get a goodbye kiss?" Shuuto asked bashfully.


    "What is it?" Mikami nced at me.


    "He''s asking for a kiss…" I groaned.


    Mikami made a motion with her hands urging me to go on. I relented to it. Shuuto pressed me up against the wall and sealed his lips over mine. His tongue drilled into my throat, and we were full-on making out. He grabbed my hands and linked our fingers together. My pussy twitched from being taken so roughly.


    After getting enough, Shuuto backed away and wiped his chin.


    "Alright, alright. I think I''m ready to pass on now. I had way more sex— with a subus at that— than I ever imagined having in life. Was able to read manga through you and y some good old Mario Kart. It''s been nice. Thanks, Saeko. I know I''ve been a bother and didn''t deserve it, but you''ve been a great host," Shuuto said.


    "You''re wee, and you''re lucky I''m a subus who didn''t mind! Don''t cause any trouble in your next life," I warned him.


    Shuuto sucked in a deep breath, then gazed up at the starry nket of night above us.


    "Oh, yeah. Merry Christmas!" Shuuto waved, and his form slowly began to lose form. He dissolved into tendrils of mists and was carried up into the sky to join the stars.


    Somewhere in Takamagahara, another soul had entered the realm of the afterlife. I checked my immediate surroundings just to be sure that Shuuto was gone. Last time, he reappeared all of a sudden and caused quite the stir.


    "Is it over? Has the spirit passed on, Acolyte?" Mikami asked.


    "I think so. Not going to say I''ll miss him because I don''t, but having what was basically a sentient dildo was kind of nice. By the way, what was thatst resort thing you had anyway?" I said, recalling the option she had given earlier.


    "Ah!" She pulled out something like a backscratcher with sealing tags on it. "A friend from Okinawa lent this to me. It would have wed into your soul to rip the ghost right out!"


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    "That <i>does</i> sound painful! Thank god it didn''te to that…" I shuddered.


    After everything that happened as ofte, I think I needed a vacation. Was Elza warm this time of the year? Too bad I only had a week left of winter break, and it was back to school. When Mikami and I returned to the party, everyone was getting ready to leave. A couple of people, like Taira and Selene, were so drunk, they couldn''t stay standing. Casey, too, after one beer apparently.


    "Me and Casey are going with Aya and them to split a rideshare. I still can''t believe she got drunk after a single beer." Kairi sighed at her roommate.


    "We''ll make sure your roommates get home safe! As for this one…" Aya gave Taira a swift finger flick to the forehead. "Taira''ll be fine. The hangover tomorrow''s gonna suck, but that hasn''t stopped her yet."


    "Hic… Oh, yeah… Miochin, Saekhi… Konomi said we got… uugh… the weekend off," Taira mumbled half-consciously.


    Mio shrugged. "With Christmas and New Years on the horizon, I guess this was kind of expected. Would''ve been nice to cash in on all those lonely chumps'' holiday dough, but ah well."


    The five of them wished us a Merry Christmas and trudged downstairs to catch a taxi.


    "You going to be alright, Saeko? I remember you had a beer," Kana said.


    "That one beer already went through me, so I''m okay. You guys?" I asked, noting that Koga was zed out of his mind.


    "Yeah, we''re good. I''ll get Koga back to his ce before he starts really tripping balls. You two get home safe, too!" He kissed me and Mio before lending Koga a shoulder out.


    ncing back into the room, Selene and Hana were passed out on top of each other on the couch. One was drunk, the other just yed too hard.


    "Mio, I think I wanna take a vacation in Elza for a while," I said.


    "You wanna go to Elza?!" Mio gasped.


    "Y-Yes?" I staggered back from her sudden excitement. "Just for a little bit. I feel like I need to do some soul-searching. It''s been one ordeal after another starting with Koga, Dokuko, Uta, and then that dumb ghost who thankfully, finally passed on."


    My girlfriend made a nasty face at me.


    "You ain''t getting tired of sex, are you? Because if you are, I''m gonna fuck the shit back into you as soon as we get home," Mio said.


    "No, I''m not getting tired of sex! I''m just thinking… thinking that I need to learn to pace myself again. That annual sex frenzy phase when we''re fertile really screwed me up." I sighed.


    "Nah, those dicks screwed you up! Kahaha!" She erupted intoughter in front of my face.


    "Alright,ugh it up…"


    I waited until Mio had enough, and by the end of it, she was in tears.


    "Wait, you serious though? About going to Elza?" Mio blinked in disbelief.


    "Yeah." I nodded.


    "Let''s do it then!" She grabbed my hands. "With Kana, too. It''ll be a vacay for the three of us! We got one week left, so why not?"


    "With Kana? B-But he''s never been to Elza with us before. It could be dangerous, too!"


    Going to Elzast time was dangerous enough with just the two of us, and we even had help from dark elves, a light elf, and some magical equipment. Not to mention, bringing Kana along when I wanted to do some soul-searching… didn''t sound like I''d be able to hold back much. Also, there was no way he would agree. Right? This idea would be toost minute for him.


    "Kana… do you wanna… go to Elza… with me and ya gurl, Saeko? Send." Mio texted our boyfriend while I was distracted.


    "Did you just—"


    "Yes! He said sure!" she eximed.


    My Christmas break suddenly turned into a trip to Elza.


    The morning of Christmas Eve, after I told Hatsumi about my ns, she wished us well with a blessing… and a tongueshing kiss before I left for Yumi''s ce. Apparently, we wouldn''t have been able to spend the holiday with her anyway. Thepany she was working at that did the boot camp was throwing a bonenkai, or a forget the year party, meant to let loose after a year of hard work and stress. That involved a lot of corporate partying and drinking.


    Hatsumi wanted me and Mio to at least be back in time for Oshogatsu, which began on January first and ended on the fourth. That gave us a whole seven days to spend in Elza.


    Mio, Kana, and I got to Yumi''s penthouse and were just waiting on Shayle with the mirror artifact now.


    "Sorry, I''mte!" Shayle apologized upon arriving. "Humans throw such amazing parties. I was up drinkingst night and didn''t wake up until ten minutes ago."


    I noticed Shayle''s eyes were sunken and red. She was probably going really hard at that party then.


    "So, you three are going to Elza? You''re absolutely sure?" she asked.


    "Why are you saying it like that? Should we be worried?" I gulped.


    "Well…" Her eyes wandered to Kana in particr. "I don''t think it should be a problem. I''m ready if you are."


    Shayle began the process of activating the mirror by mentally visualizing the destination. Meanwhile, I was having second thoughts about bringing Kana along.


    "Hey, Kana… Are you sure you want toe with us? You don''t have to," I said.


    "Oi, oi. Don''t dissuade him. We need our cum hydrant with us." Mio hugged Kana in a defensive manner.


    "Wait… Don''t tell me <i>that''s</i> the reason you asked me toe, Mio! Actually, don''t answer that. And Saeko, hell yes, I want to go to Elza. A ce wiith magic? Elves? Monsters? That sounds so cool. Instead of reading isekai, I can <i>be</i> the isekai protagonist! I wouldn''t miss it for the world!" Kana exined.


    I pped a hand to my face.


    The portal opened. Elza and Queen Elendir''s manor was just on the other side.


    "Uweh? What''d I miss?" Hana sat upright having just woken up. "Oh, shit. You''re gonna go to Elza? Me, too! Me, too!"


    "Hana, this isn''t a—" I wasn''t able to finish my sentence because Hana headbutted all three of us through.


    We fell through to the other side and onto the soft grassy knoll leading up to the manor courtyard. Shayle poked her head through the portal first, then stepped over our body pile.


    "Wow. So, this is another world different from Earth?" Kana got up and nced around in awe.


    "Male?" A dark elfndscaping the hedges stopped working to stare at Kana.


    One after another, dark elves came out of the woodworks parroting the word ''male''.


    "Uhh. What''s going on?!" Kana hid behind me.


    All of the dark elves that were drawn to us stared ravenously at Kana. They were sharks. In their eyes, he was a tasty fish in the sea.


    "The dark elves of Elza lost all their males. I think seeing you sparked their own hunger," I warned.


    "Queen Saeko?" Elendir emerged from the manor in a hurry. "Your arrival is unexpected. You should have sent word ahead of time!"


    "Elly, your elves better back off. Kana belongs to me and Saeko. Theyy a hand on him, and we''re taking them to pound town!" Mio growled.


    A mere flick of the wrist was all Queen Elendir needed to do for the dark elves around us to get the memo. Not wanting to piss off their monarch, they returned to work.


    "Thanks." I sighed.


    "Much has changed since youst came. The power structures in Elza have shifted, so you havee at a most… awkward time but serendipitous. Nevertheless, you are my queen in ordance with our previous battle. I invite you all into my manor, and all its hospitality is at your call. Queen Saeko, perhaps you and I may have have a word in private?" Elendir asked in earnest.