After bribing the two red-eyed vicious dogs with cream-filled cakes and sending them off to hunt for other girls, Natsuki clapped his hands and looked at Haruno.
"Let's go. We'll find Yukino first."
Haruno said softly:
"Back when we swapped bodies, it happened in a flash—poof—so I actually have no idea where the church is."
"It's enough that I know."
As he spoke, Natsuki took out a map of the town.
Aside from a somewhat extreme personality—manifested in how she once removed and washed her husband's internal organs simply because she suspected him of cheating without a shred of actual evidence—Mrs. Kato was actually quite reliable in other respects.
For instance, the hand-drawn map clearly marked the approximate location of the town church.
"Um..." The bespectacled girl cleared her throat. "May I join you?"
Natsuki nodded.
"No problem. Feel free to come along, Ms. Yasui."
"Thank you."
She let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly expressed her gratitude.
What matters most when trying to survive in a dungeon instance?
Strength, of course.
But when one's own strength is lacking, a keen eye becomes crucial.
The boy before her had managed to unravel Mr. Hirata's illusion and lead everyone out of the unfinished building—all by piecing together clues from the trivial detail of a missing cleaning rag. His intellect was clearly far superior to her own.
Not only that, but he had also tamed two hellhounds; that was a feat requiring more than just brains—it demanded genuine power.
Brains and brawn—this was someone worth sticking close to!
"Let's go."
Natsuki put away the town map and took the lead.
After walking a short distance, the girl glanced back and realized that the darkness behind them concealed numerous other unfinished residential buildings—a sight so oppressive it made it hard to breathe. "Some people are just absolutely despicable!"
The bespectacled passerby pushed up her glasses and couldn't help but remark:
"I saw a story online about an entrepreneur who was planning to abscond with funds—a massive scandal. The female bank manager who approved his loans had an appetite that was truly terrifying; out of 270 billion in loans, she pocketed a staggering 80 billion in kickbacks. Even loan sharks aren't that ruthless."
Haruno shook her head:
"Not necessarily."
"Huh?" The bespectacled woman looked over in confusion. "...What do you mean?"
Natsuki spoke up:
"There was a news story a while back about dozens of tons of steel vanishing from a nuclear-corrupted zone. It turned out the thieves were four demolition workers who used the cover of darkness to steal the steel and haul it away to sell. Did you happen to see that, Ms. Yasui?"
The bespectacled woman nodded slightly:
"I saw the story, though I didn't catch the follow-up details."
Natsuki said calmly:
"So, consider this: stealing a mere few dozen tons of steel required a group effort. Yet, an ordinary female bank manager supposedly had the capacity to pocket 80 billion all by herself? Were all the others blind and deaf?"
"..."
It was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through the bespectacled woman's mind; suddenly, everything became clear.
That's right!
Embezzlement on the scale of 80 billion is absolutely impossible for one person to swallow alone!
In the world of corruption, the biggest danger is someone becoming resentful. Even if you can't let everyone feast on the meat, you have to at least let the others have some soup...
That female bank manager was merely the radish pulled from the ground; there were undoubtedly countless others implicated behind the scenes! Unexpectedly, Natsuki continued:
"In women's prisons, more than half of the female inmates used to be accountants. When a company engages in tax evasion, the accountant is inevitably forced to cook the books—otherwise, they'd be out of a job. Of course, those women harbored greed of their own; otherwise, they could have simply resigned..."
He paused, then added with a meaningful tone:
"What I'm getting at is that in cases of corporate tax evasion, the female accountant is never the one walking away with the lion's share."
The bespectacled bystander widened her eyes and couldn't help but ask:
"So, Natsuki-kun, are you saying... that female bank president is actually just like those accountants? That despite the alleged eighty-billion embezzlement, she likely only pocketed a fraction of it?"
Natsuki spread his hands:
"It's just speculation—nothing more than a guess."
The bespectacled woman clutched her forehead, overwhelmed by the terrifying reality of the world, and remarked:
"Doesn't that mean they'd have to arrest a huge number of people? The prisons probably wouldn't even have enough room, right?"
Haruno tilted her head with a smile:
"Ms. Yasui is mistaken again."
"Huh?"
Haruno raised a slender finger and spoke softly:
"Precisely because so many people and such vast interests are involved, they won't actually arrest everyone... It takes six months to a year just to investigate the 'Polar Catfish' scandal involving that retired grandfather figure; a case of this magnitude would take at least three to five years just for the investigation."
Natsuki chimed in with an example:
"Take the Fukushima nuclear disaster, for instance. The decision-makers really ought to have committed seppuku to atone for their actions, yet not a single one of them went to prison. They don't care about the outrage of netizens; after all, as time passes, everyone just forgets about it."
The bespectacled woman: "..."
Terrifying.
This world is truly terrifying.
Once she cleared the instance and returned to reality, she resolved to see if things would actually play out the way these two described.
As they chatted along the way, they encountered several wandering evil spirits, but the trio managed to avoid them and reached their destination without incident.
"We're here at the church."
Natsuki stopped and surveyed the spire-topped building before them. "I've only ever been active inside the church; I haven't stepped out until now," Haruno said softly. "Inside, there's not just Yukino-chan, but also a Ghost Nun. You need to be careful, Natsuki-kun."
Natsuki nodded slightly. Just as he was debating whether to sneak in secretly or walk in openly, the church doors suddenly swung open. A nun clad in a black-and-white habit stepped out, carrying a lantern with an eerie green flame inside. Her skin was deathly pale, and she moved with a ghostly, floating gait; the corners of her eyes and mouth were pitch-black—she was unmistakably the Ghost Nun.
Despite being a Ghost Nun, her demeanor was surprisingly polite. She approached the trio and gave a slight bow:
"You three have come to visit late at night; may I ask the reason?"
Natsuki paused for a moment of thought, then quickly pressed his palms together:
"I am a sinner. I wish to come into the church to confess the sins I have committed."
Upon hearing this, the Ghost Nun's gaze softened, and a smile appeared on her face—though, unfortunately, the smile looked even more terrifying than her expressionless face.
"As long as you repent sincerely, the Lord forgives every sinner. Please, come inside."
Haruno blinked and raised her right hand:
"I am a sinner, too. Every night, when I think of the sins I've committed, I toss and turn, unable to sleep. I wish to confess my sins as well."
The Ghost Nun replied calmly:
"The Lord opens His doors to all who repent sincerely."
"I... I'm a sinner too..."
Seeing that Natsuki and Haruno were going in, the bespectacled girl—who had been a mere passerby—naturally didn't want to be left outside alone; she hurriedly used the same excuse to gain entry to the church.
"Please follow me."
Carrying her lantern, the Ghost Nun turned to lead the way.
Natsuki held Haruno's delicate hand and stepped forward to follow.
Guided by the Ghost Nun, the three of them successfully entered the church, only to be met by a creeping chill that made them shiver involuntarily. There were no electric lights in the church; the only illumination came from candles. However, the candlelight was incredibly dim and cast an eerie, sickly green glow. Somewhere in the distance, a mournful, wailing sob echoed—a truly chilling sound.
The bespectacled girl couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness. She stole a glance at Natsuki and Haruno, only to see Amamiya looking completely at ease, as if he were strolling through his own home. That was one thing, but Haruno was even more relaxed; she walked with a light step, a smile playing on her lips, looking positively delighted...
What was up with these two?
Weren't they scared at all?
This gloomy, haunted church was obviously a super dangerous place!
But there was no turning back now; she was already in too deep. All she could do was hold her breath, follow cautiously behind them, and keep a wary eye on her surroundings.
Fortunately, nothing untoward happened along the way. Led by the ghostly nun, the trio arrived safely at the confessional.
The confessional was nothing special—just an ordinary small room containing a structure resembling a telephone booth. The nun sat inside while the penitent sat outside; they could hear each other's voices but couldn't see one another's faces. This setup allowed people to open up and confess their sins without worrying about their privacy being exposed.
"Once inside the confessional, everyone must confess their sins." The ghostly nun licked her lips; for some reason, her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Please note: you must speak of your true sins within the confessional, or else you will face the Lord's punishment."
With that, the ghostly nun gave a slight bow, picked up her lantern, and turned to leave.
"Sister, I have sinned; I wish to confess."
Natsuki sat down on the chair first, deciding to test the waters.
After a brief silence, the nun's voice drifted out from the confessional—familiar and sweet:
"Speak."
"To think I'd find it so quickly..."
Natsuki's eyes lit up slightly. He had expected to put in some effort to find her, but it had turned out to be effortless; that voice was unmistakably Haruno's—or rather, Yukino's. "Well, it feels strange hearing my own voice."
The corners of Haruno's lips curled up into a delighted smile as she draped herself over Natsuki's shoulder and said:
"I have sinned, too; I want to confess together."
Inside the confessional, Yukino fell silent for a moment before speaking in a cool, detached tone:
"One at a time."
Natsuki cleared his throat and said wistfully:
"I have sinned. I fell for a pair of sisters at the same time. Even though I really liked the younger sister, I found the older sister to be elegant and poised—her every smile and gesture was utterly captivating. Not knowing how to choose, I decided to have them both... Sister, do you think there's any hope for me?"
The bespectacled bystander: "..."
Falling for both the older and younger sister, unable to choose, and deciding to take them both—what a shameless thing to say!
But then again... as long as one isn't married, having eight or ten girlfriends isn't exactly a crime, is it?
The legal definition of bigamy requires at least one party to be already married with the union still legally intact. Since the law only criminalizes bigamy and not infidelity within a marriage, it follows—by extension—that dating multiple girls simultaneously isn't a crime either.
The girl's icy voice drifted out from the confessional:
"I'd suggest committing seppuku to atone for your sins."
That was the real Yukino, alright; when faced with someone else's confession, her only solutions were ritual suicide or the gallows.
Haruno spoke cheerfully:
"I have sinned as well. I fell for the same boy my younger sister liked. She was the one who made the first move—holding hands, hugging, kissing; she did it all first. But matters of the heart aren't rational. In the end, I went behind her back and secretly got together with her boyfriend. I feel deeply guilty every day and can't sleep at night."
"I remember when we were little, my sister said that when we grew up, we'd marry the same man... Tell me, Sister, does that promise still count?"
The bespectacled bystander: "..."
First, a guy says he fell for both sisters, and now a woman says she stole her younger sister's boyfriend... Could the two of them actually be the main characters here? A sweet, lovely voice drifted out from the confessional—though unlike the usual Haruno, there was a distinct chill to her tone this time:
"I'm afraid not. The Civil Code stipulates that children under the age of eight lack the capacity for civil conduct; any actions they take carry no legal weight, so the promise is invalid."
"Well, I guess that leaves me no choice..." Haruno sighed softly, then clenched her delicate fists. "I'll just have to fight my little sister for her man!"
The bespectacled bystander: "..."
Why is it a fight over a man?
If you realize you've fallen for your sister's boyfriend, shouldn't you stop yourself in time and simply watch over them from afar with your blessings?
Haruno wrapped her arms around Natsuki's neck, tilted her head, and planted a firm, resounding kiss on his cheek.
Mwah!
"As long as we keep it a secret from my sister, I can kiss you however much I want—and it wouldn't even matter if I accidentally got pregnant, right?"
How could there possibly be no connection?
A woman's sixth sense is incredibly sharp; if a man cheats, she's bound to spot the telltale signs!
The bespectacled bystander's mouth twitched; she could barely suppress the urge to blurt out the snarky comments running through her mind.
Smack...
A loud kissing sound rang out.
Haruno tilted her head and planted a firm kiss on Natsuki's cheek, her voice cheerful:
"It's fun... sneaking a taste of my little sister's boyfriend—it's such a thrill."
Clatter.
The small window of the confessional booth slid open, revealing a lovely face that bore a sixty-percent resemblance to Yukino's—it was Haruno... or rather, Yukino.
"Big sister, don't go too far!"
"Huh?"
The bespectacled bystander was stunned; she looked in surprise from the Yukino who had just stepped out to the Haruno draped over Natsuki, her mind reeling in confusion.
They really were sisters!
But no matter how you looked at it, hadn't they mixed up their roles as sisters?
"No way; I decide what to do with my own body." Far from getting up, Haruno actually settled into Natsuki's lap, nuzzling against him like a cat and acting coquettishly. "Yukino-chan is welcome to use my body however she likes—it doesn't matter at all."
Yukino crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her gaze; her icy stare landed on Natsuki's face as she tilted her head:
"Trash-kun, do you want to end up on the gallows?"
Natsuki put on an incredibly innocent expression, sounding aggrieved:
"Everyone saw it—I didn't move a muscle. Yet you're sentencing me to the gallows? Is there no justice or law left in this world?"
"It hurts... it's so painful."
"Well, being wrongly accused is indeed a painful feeling." Haruno nodded in agreement, the corners of her rosy lips curling up into a delighted arc. "So... if you just make the crime a reality, it won't hurt anymore."
As she spoke,
Haruno tilted her lovely face upward and planted a kiss right on his lips. Unlike Yukino—who, despite having kissed Natsuki countless times, rarely took the initiative (with the rare exception being that moment under the cosmos atop Mount Everest)—Haruno, who was currently inhabiting the body, showed Natsuki exactly what "burning passion" meant. In short, he didn't have to lift a finger; he could simply sit there while Haruno took the lead in every way.
Watching helplessly as her own body engaged in such intimate contact and deep interaction with Natsuki, Yukino's face flushed crimson, and she clenched her small fists in a mix of shame and vexation.
Bang!
The door to the confessional suddenly swung open. "Yukino"—clad in a black nun's habit—stepped out. Her face was taut and expressionless; fixing her gaze on Natsuki and Haruno, she gritted her teeth and declared:
"You two need to know when to stop!"
Only when Yukino had walked right up to them did Haruno finally cease her aggressive advances and lift her head. Smiling brightly, she raised her right hand to wipe away a silvery thread of saliva from the corner of her mouth and said cheerfully:
"Natsuki-kun, thanks for the treat. As expected, my little sister's things are even more delicious."
Seeing the mix of embarrassment and murderous rage practically overflowing from Yukino's eyes, Natsuki gave a soft cough and decided it was best to quit while he was ahead. He adopted a serious tone:
"Let's leave it at that for now and get down to business... Yukino, you received the notification about the main quest update earlier, right?"
Abilities were bound to the soul, and the same applied to main quests; even though Yukino and Haruno had swapped bodies, their respective main quests remained unchanged.
Yukino kept her face taut and gave an expressionless nod, tacitly agreeing to let the matter drop for the moment.
What else could she do?
Beat them both up to vent her frustration?
In truth, Yukino realized that aside from the embarrassment and vexation, she didn't actually feel much genuine anger. The reason, perhaps, lay in that dream from the other afternoon—on an island with only the three of them present—where she and Haruno had been stacked together like Tetris blocks...
After enough instances of such subtle conditioning, she had simply accepted it without even realizing it. Natsuki asked again:
"What about Haruno's mission? Have you managed to figure anything out yet?"
Yukino raised a hand to tuck a lock of dark hair behind her ear and shook her head:
"There are many rules in the church. Although my sister holds the status of a nun, she is only a novice; there are many areas she isn't allowed to enter. Besides... you two are the very first people to come here to confess your sins."
Natsuki speculated:
"It's probably because it's the middle of the night—that's why no one is coming... Can we leave the church now?"
"No," Yukino shook her head gently. "Once we leave, it would likely be very difficult to get back in."
"It seems to be a similar situation to Juju's..."
Natsuki nodded slightly, exchanged information with Yukino, and then prepared to take his leave.
Obviously, ordinary people couldn't stay overnight in the church. Besides, his upperclassman and Shoko were still waiting at the security booth; if he didn't return soon, they would surely worry.
"Natsuki-kun, there's no need to worry," Haruno smiled. "Yukino-chan and I maintain a telepathic link; I actually gave her a heads-up just now while we were kissing."
Yukino took a deep breath and gritted her teeth:
"Sister, please be serious!"
"Alright, my mistake." Haruno waved her hand, looking delighted. "Next time Natsuki-kun and I get intimate, I won't give Yukino-chan any advance notice."
"You..."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely take safety precautions—I promise I won't end up creating a life."
"..."
Yukino clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, feeling as though she were punching a pile of cotton—her strength had nowhere to land.
It was useless to say anything now; her sister had a truly wicked personality. She had taken pleasure in teasing others since childhood, and the more Yukino cared, the more delighted her sister became.
"Wait—"
Yukino suddenly recalled the future timelines she had seen in the [Future Diary].
Many of the diary entries depicted a future where she was pregnant. She certainly wouldn't agree to such a thing, so... could the truth be that, after the soul swap, her sister took over her body and did something like that?! Just then, Natsuki's voice suddenly rang out:
"No good—the door won't open."
"Huh?"
The three girls crowded around to check the situation, only to find the wooden door as immovable as if it were cast from solid iron; it wouldn't budge an inch.
"Wait, what's going on?" Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, the bespectacled girl—who had barely spoken until now—grew nervous and whispered, "Could someone have locked us in from the outside?"
Haruno rested her chin on her right hand and mused:
"Could it be that Ms. Yasui hasn't made her confession yet?"
"Huh?"
Natsuki said:
"Before the Ghost Nun left, she said that everyone entering the confessional must sincerely confess their sins."
"So... I should give it a try?"
The bespectacled girl walked hesitantly over to the chair and sat down.
"Go on, Yukino—get in there."
Haruno waved her hand.
With a calm expression, Yukino stepped back into the confessional booth.
The bespectacled girl gave a couple of soft coughs:
"Um... Sister? I have sinned; I wish to confess."
Yukino's voice rang out calmly:
"Please, go ahead."
"Mmm..."
With the words right on the tip of her tongue, the bespectacled girl hesitated. In her twenty-plus years of life, she had certainly done things that weighed on her conscience—things that would quietly prick at her heart during sleepless midnights—but actually voicing those confessions in front of others... that was simply something she couldn't bring herself to do. "I've got it."
The bespectacled woman's eyes lit up as she quickly came up with a story. She cleared her throat and began:
"I used to work at a food company—well, 'work' is a generous term; I was basically a gofer, hauling sacks of corn."
"It was grueling work with constant overtime and terrible pay. I hated the job and harbored a deep, bitter resentment toward the world."
"One evening, I hadn't finished my tasks and was stuck working late after everyone else had left. A homeless man wandered by and begged for food, claiming he hadn't eaten in five days..."
Haruno raised a hand to her lips and whispered:
"That feels strangely familiar."
Natsuki quipped:
"Keep listening; it's going to get even more familiar."
The bespectacled woman continued her confession:
"I was furious at the time. Why did I have to slave away for such a pittance while a homeless man could just laze about and casually demand food from others?"
"So, I decided to give him a hard time. I told him he had to work—moving goods—before I'd give him anything. When I saw he wasn't moving enough, I deliberately made him carry heavy loads into the warehouse."
"He was crushed under a heavy sack. At first, I thought he was just putting on an act, so I didn't rush to help. But then... he died. His spirit turned into a vengeful entity, cursing me and vowing to return for revenge the moment I reached the peak of my happiness..."
Haruno's beautiful eyes widened:
"Natsuki-kun... it really does sound familiar."
Natsuki lowered his voice:
"It seems Haruno-nee has watched Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan too."
"..."
The bespectacled woman clasped her hands together and continued:
"I regret it so much; I've lived with that guilt ever since... Sister, can I be forgiven?"
Before Yukino could speak, the door to the confessional was suddenly flung open.
Bang! The door bounced off the wall with a bang, and immediately a shrill scream rang out:
"You're lying!"
"That sin isn't yours at all!"
Natsuki turned to look and saw the ghostly nun who had guided them earlier crawling in on all fours. She had previously maintained a somewhat human appearance, but now her eyes were pitch-black and her jaw hung loose, torn and gaping; she scuttled rapidly up onto the ceiling like a spider.
"W-what's happening?"
The bespectacled girl was startled and hurriedly scrambled to her feet.
Haruno frowned and said:
"We must have triggered the ghostly nun's killing condition... You were recounting a manga plot earlier, right? It seems that if the sin confessed isn't one's own actual crime, the ghostly nun attacks."
The bespectacled girl turned pale with fright and hurriedly asked:
"Is it too late to tell the truth now?"
At the same time, Yukino stepped out of the confessional booth, frowning as she looked at the ghostly nun.
Natsuki looked up at the ghostly nun crawling on the ceiling and called out:
"Sister, could we try confessing again—with true sincerity this time?"
The ghostly nun shrieked:
"It's too late! You're all going to die!"
"Don't be like that; everything is open to negotiation." Natsuki raised his right hand and produced the payment Mrs. Kato had given them earlier. "Money—how about I pay you?"
"..."
The bespectacled bystander was left utterly speechless.
While she was grateful that Natsuki Amamiya and the others hadn't abandoned her to flee, the idea of bribing the Ghost Nun with money was surely a joke, right?
That was the Ghost Nun; to her, real-world currency was nothing more than useless scrap paper.
Yet, the very next moment, the Ghost Nun—who had been skittering about looking for a chance to strike—suddenly stopped moving, and even her shrill voice softened:
"...How much money?"
Natsuki Amamiya proposed:
"Come down first, and I'll give you half of this."
"No." The Ghost Nun shook her head. "You broke the rules. If you want me to let you go... you'll have to pay more!"
The bespectacled bystander: "..."