07 Strategy policy
"So, that's pretty much it."
"Uh, well... I'm starting to feel a little sorry for Yui..."
After finishing work and returning home, I asked Elsie about what their life together was like when they switched places.
How should I put it... it's pretty much as expected, for better or for worse.
"I'm exhausted too. I carried a lot of monitors and games to Yui's house."
"...Even though our bodies have been swapped, Keima-kun is still Keima-kun."
Knowing Keima, I have a feeling he'd be happy to have a spacious room to himself.
With her being so free-spirited, I'm starting to worry a little about Yui's mother...
"By the way, have you heard about their plans for the future?"
"Huh? Um... I think it stayed like that for a while."
"Yui probably hasn't had much experience thinking for herself and taking action, so we should let her explore the outside world for a while," or something like that.
"Huh? Keima said that?"
"Huh? Yes, that's what he definitely said."
Hmm... I think that approach will take considerably longer than the shortest route...
Well, I guess it's fine. If there's no demonic energy, it should be okay for at least a month.
In that case, I suppose what I should do is prepare a place for them to stay for a while.
...Okay, first things first.
"Yui, how are you doing?"
"Oh, Mr. Nakagawa? I'm a little tired."
"I guess so... I'm exhausted just from listening to Elsie's story."
"Uhh... what did I do wrong?"
If you want to act like Keima, I think all you need to do is keep playing the game with your PFP in hand, regardless of whether it's during class or a break... but if I tell you the correct method, it might make things complicated in terms of strategy, so I'll keep quiet. I'm really sorry about that.
"Changing the subject, Yui, you're in the brass band club, right?"
"...No, I stopped. My mother told me it was no longer necessary."
"Oh, really?"
From what Keima and Elsie have said, it seems like club activities were Yui's only hobby...
Is Yui's mother's influence so strong that she could easily make her throw even that away?
Is it really worth leaving a void in your heart?
"So, it's not like you dislike music itself, right?"
"Yes. I can't play music at home, so it was really fun."
"Well then, how about trying this? I think it might be a bit of a distraction."
What I took out was the PFP I borrowed from Keima-kun. It contains several rhythm games, not dating sims.
I borrowed it for study purposes after I rejected my previous game development project.
"What in the world is this?"
"Do you know about the PFP, a portable game console?"
"Games...? We don't have anything like that at home."
"You're a die-hard fan..."
Okay, let me explain from the beginning. Press here to turn on the power..."
I will now explain the flow of gameplay.
I demonstrated the process from powering on the computer to clearing a moderately difficult song without making any mistakes.
"That's the general idea, wanna give it a try?"
"Y-yes! I'd love to do it!"
I know it sounds strange coming from me since I recommended it, but wow, they're really taking it!
I guess this is pretty typical when you encounter something for the first time.
Yui enjoyed playing several songs, even though she made mistakes from time to time.
The exhausted look on his face just a moment ago seems to have calmed down.
"How is it? Are you having fun?"
"Yes! I want to keep doing it forever!"
"Yes. That's good then."
"Yes! But...it's a little cramped."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a bit of a problem that all I can do is make sounds in the way that's been prescribed..."
"That's just how the game is..."
So, I guess I'd want not only games but also musical instruments?"
"Can you prepare it?!"
"I think we'll manage somehow. Come along."
I took Yui to the room I was using.
Since it's just a rented room, I've only brought a minimal amount of my personal belongings.
One of the few personal belongings he owns is his laptop.
"Is Yui's specialty percussion instruments? Like drums?"
"My specialty isn't drumming, but...that's roughly what I do."
"Okay, then I'll search for 'drums online shopping'."
When I pressed the Enter key, a long list of search results appeared.
If you click on a suitable item to investigate further, it seems that some items will arrive as early as tomorrow.
just...
"Hmm, the full set is a bit expensive."
My life is on the line here, so I won't hesitate to spend money if necessary, but I want to keep costs down wherever I can.
"Huh? Is it expensive?"
"...picture?"
"Huh? It's cheaper than the accessories my sister usually buys..."
Now that I think of it, Yui's family was wealthy.
Accessories that cost more than a full drum set...
"Um, is this expensive?"
"Generally speaking."
"That's a problem..."
...Oh, that's right! I remember now!
The brass band club has a few old drum sets, so you might be able to borrow one!
"If that's all it takes, then that's better."
But if it's not possible, let me know."
"Thank you. I'll do my best tomorrow!"
Phew, I wonder if this is okay.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
08 Route Branch Point
...Day 3 of the strategy: After school...
"Wait a minute. How did things get like this?"
When I told Keima about what Yui had been up to lately, that's what he said to me.
"Why, you ask...? Did I do something wrong?"
"Of course it's not good! Why is Yui enjoying life in my body?!"
"What do you mean... It's only natural to feel happier now that the oppressive mother is gone, right?"
"That may be true, but..."
I thought Keima had already factored that into his plans, but maybe I was wrong?
I thought Keima would easily notice it, but...
Could it be that even though their personalities and memories have been swapped, she's inherited Yui's thinking abilities? It's not entirely impossible.
"Keima, are you feeling unwell?"
"How am I feeling? There's nothing particularly wrong. If I had to say something, my body feels a little heavy."
"Wouldn't that normally be described as feeling unwell?"
"That's not true!!"
It seems suspicious. But I can't say for sure if he's feeling so unwell that he needs to be forced to rest.
Okay. Let's use this.
"So, Keima, how about we have a match?"
The game I took out was one of the rhythm games I borrowed from Keima-kun.
Since the software allows you to connect multiple PFP units and play against each other with just one copy, you can battle right here.
"Oh? You dare to challenge God?"
"Yeah. A Keima who's not feeling well is a piece of cake!"
"Very well. Bring it on!!"
...A few minutes later...
"...That's an unexpected result."
"...Ah, yes. That's right."
Even though he wasn't in top form, Keima won.
However, that victory was by a very narrow margin. It seems that Keima made several uncharacteristic mistakes, which led to him losing points.
For now, I'll put PFP into sleep mode and think about it.
Keima seems a bit off, probably because of the body swap. Is it stress...?
But Yui is actually doing really well in games. I think she'll be in top form once we get the drums.
...There is a cause for Yui's physical ailment.
The cause... I see, that sounds very plausible. So that's it.
"I figured out what was causing the problem."
Because there's a runaway soul there."
Keima points to the center of... Yui's body.
I haven't checked with sensors, but I'm pretty sure. A male body can't have children, so it's unlikely that the runaway soul transferred to Keima's body.
"A runaway soul... I see. It's inside Yui's body."
"I remember the unpleasant feeling and the effects of having a runaway soul inside me."
I'm simply comparing the time when my walkthrough began (which is roughly the same as when Ayumi's walkthrough ended) with the time after my walkthrough ended. I remember it perfectly.
That unpleasant feeling, like a murky, runaway soul clinging to my heart, that suffocating feeling, like sinking into a heavy swamp.
The effects may vary from person to person, but this particular runaway soul seems to have enough power to slow down Keima's thinking.
"You... you were carrying something like this?"
"That's how it's going to be."
"...Is Yui now free from the pressure she has to bear from her family, and also from the pressures that come with it?"
Initially, the plan was to take action once Yui felt she had reached her limit with her new life, but it seems that was difficult from the start.
Nobody would want to go back to having a body like this."
"Maybe so."
"...I'll rebuild the route. But if I try to do it alone right now, I'm likely to mess it up."
Nakagawa, will you lend me a hand?"
"Needless to say, I don't know how much I can be of help to Keima, but I'll do my best."
We rented a room at a nearby karaoke place and began our strategy meeting.
This place is well soundproofed, so there's no need to worry about anyone overhearing our conversations. It's also a great place to sing to unwind.
The only downside is that it costs a bit of money.
"Let's start by clarifying the situation."
The name of the character you're trying to win over is Yui Goido. Her height is 160cm and her weight is..."
"Wait, Keima. I can't use your height, weight, or blood type, so you can skip those."
"That's true. So I'll skip that part then."
Currently, we've switched places and are experiencing school life in each other's bodies for about two days.
Yui, at first it was a bit rough, but now she's having a pretty good time. As for me... well, it's just average.
...By the way, what is Yui doing right now?
"He's probably using his connections from his time in the brass band to try and borrow a drum set with Elsie."
"I see. Understood."
This summarizes our actions up to this point.
The crucial question is what we will do from here on out.
But I don't know how to win over a girl in a romantic relationship.
That's why I'm going to try an approach using methods that I can understand.
"Keima, what do you think is the void in Yui's heart?"
"We don't know the exact cause yet, but it's almost certainly due to 'pressure from parents'."
"Right? I think so too."
And letting Yui "explore the outside world for a while" is an act of distancing her from the source of her void.
While it may sound good to call it symptomatic treatment, it ultimately only serves to make the problem disappear, so it cannot be considered a fundamental solution.
"Assuming that assumption is correct... we can narrow down the possibilities regarding the emotional void to some extent, right?"
"Well...it's because of the pressure from my parents..."
...Ah, damn it, I can't put it all together properly!
The usual Keima would probably give away not just two or three, but maybe around ten in a flash, but it seems he's not feeling well.
It looks like I really need to step up my game. Let's try listing everything that comes to mind.
"Hypothesis 1: Hatred towards parents"
"...No, Yui isn't that kind of character."
"Right. So, hypothesis number two: jealousy of ordinary people."
"I haven't found any elements that allow me to definitively deny it so far, but what about you?"
"...I know I said it myself, but I don't think that's right. I didn't even know about PFP, let alone the game itself, and I have little understanding of the lives of ordinary people."
It's possible I was vaguely jealous, but..."
"If you're so jealous that it creates a void in your heart, you'd probably know about video games."
"So, hypothesis number three: A feeling of confinement from constantly being monitored by parents, even at home."
"It's certainly unpleasant, but... it's a bit weak. Besides, if that's the case, wouldn't you resent your parents for creating that feeling of confinement?"
"I see. I'll resent the person who caused it... Ah!"
So you resent the person who caused the problem? I see, I see.
This is probably it. It fits best.
"...I see, so that's how it is."
"I can't believe you couldn't figure something this simple out on your own."
"Oh, Keima-kun noticed too? Well then, let's say it together on the count of three."
"I'm pretty sure they match... Okay, here we go. Ready, set, go."
"Self-loathing for being unable to overcome the pressure from my parents."
My lines and Keima's lines matched perfectly.
Actually, the initial plan was for Keima to mistake Kanon for Elsie, and Kanon to see this and become convinced that Keima was unwell. However, there was absolutely no point in using Elsie's illusion magic, so I abandoned that idea. Maybe
I introduced the second illusion magic a little too early?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
09 How to Conquer Kanon Nakagawa
"We agree."
"We agree."
Self-loathing, huh... It reminds me of Mami.
In that case, the problem was related to communication with other people.
In this case, is it about communication with the mother, or family?
...Is this what all emotional voids are like? No, Ayumi was different.
"In that case, Yui will need to be able to stand up to the family head-on."
"Yeah. I pretty much knew the parents were the cause, so I thought I'd make Yui forget all about her family and then show her Keima's miserable state to make her see things objectively..."
"...Sorry, I hadn't thought of that at all."
"Yeah, I knew that."
If Keima had thought it through properly, he wouldn't have complained to me.
"Okay, let's go with that route. I'm leaving the rest to you."
"Everything's going smoothly, so I don't have any particular problems... but are you okay, Keima?"
"Yeah, well, I don't really have much to do."
"No, that's not it. How's your physical condition?"
"Don't underestimate me. This level of interference is no problem at all!"
"Okay... If it's too hard, tell me right away."
"Ah, well then I'll go home..."
"wait a minute!"
I called out to Keima, who was getting up from his seat and about to leave the karaoke room.
"Since we're here, let's sing. Singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs might ease the burden on your chest a little."
"Singing? No, I don't really..."
"Come on, I'll sing too. This is a rare opportunity to hear an idol sing live."
"...Now that I think about it, you were an idol, weren't you?"
"What do you mean, 'Speaking of which'?! What do you mean, 'Speaking of which'?!"
"Ah, yes, yes. Well, since we're here, why don't we sing something?"
After that, we sang until it was time to leave.
...And speaking of which, Keima's singing voice was... well, let's just say it was very unique. Yeah.
When I got home, Elsie and Yui had already returned.
There's a nice drum set there too. It seems to be an old drum set that the brass band no longer uses, so it's a bit dirty, but it looks like it's perfectly usable.
"So you've got the drums ready, huh?"
"Yes! I brought it secretly!!"
"...Huh? You didn't bring it without permission, did you?"
"Huh? It didn't work?"
"No way! What were you doing, Yui?!"
"Um, well... after thinking about it calmly, I realized that it would be fine to use it on school grounds, but taking it home would be impossible..."
If this gets discovered, it's a crime, but...it's a crime committed using hellish technology, so I don't think it'll get found out.
...Oh well. Let's just pretend I didn't see that.
"Well, since we're here, why don't you play something?"
"Leave it to me! I'm going!"
Yui looked excited as she picked up her drumsticks, sat down on the drum set stool, and began to play.
When I first met her, she wasn't smiling at all, but now she has a really great smile.
"So, what did you think?"
"...Yeah. I think it was really good."
"Yes!! How should I put it... it was amazing!!"
As expected of someone in the brass band, Yui's performance was magnificent.
Of course, they still have a long way to go compared to professionals, but it was a good performance that conveyed their enjoyment of playing.
"Yu, Yui-san! Is that something I can do too!?"
"Huh? You want to try it? That's fine, but..."
"Yay!!"
...Does Elsie truly possess any sense of responsibility as a collaborating partner?
Oh well. It seems like Yui would have more fun teaching Elsie drums than playing alone.
I think we'll just wait and see for a while. Elsie will probably manage to move things along somehow with her natural charm.
...Actually, it was all part of her plan... No, that's not the case with Elsie.
"...Yui, are you enjoying this house?"
"Huh? Yes, everyone has been so kind to me, and I'm having a great time."
"...yes"
I wonder if you'll realize it on your own. That "the place you're in right now is something you stole from Keima."
And I want you to face it head-on. The happiness you feel now is something you can surely obtain even in that house if you truly desire it.
Let's wait and see for a while, then subtly try to shift their attention towards that house. I know you can handle it.
I wonder if Keima was always thinking about things like this while he was working on his strategy.
The lives of myself, Keima, and Elsie will all depend on my choice.
Thinking about it that way makes it feel really heavy. But I won't give up.
This is the weight I've been burdening Keima with all this time.
And this is the strategy I chose.
In the original story, Keima is portrayed as being bad at drawing, so in this work, I've made him bad at all things related to art (including music).
However, this only applies to analog things; he's perfectly capable of digital things.
For example, he's tone-deaf to the point of being a bad singer, but he'd be perfectly capable of playing instruments like the piano or recorder.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 Development
For several days after I made up my mind, fortunately or unfortunately, no major incidents occurred.
If I had to pick one thing, it would be when Keima's mother almost took his game away, but Keima apparently managed to resolve the situation himself. As for the details... I was a little too scared to ask.
Yui seems to have gotten used to living in Keima's body. The intense feeling of unease she had right after the switch has faded, and she's living as if she'd been a boy all along. I wonder if she's almost forgotten about the body switch?
...I told Keima-kun these things during my lunch break.
"So, Keima, I think it's about time we did something, what do you think?"
Specifically, I'm thinking of having Keima collapse under the pretext of stress."
"A pretext, huh... It's certainly a good idea, but I have some concerns."
If Yui doesn't react to that, then we're out of luck."
"Considering Yui's personality, I don't think she would completely ignore it... but she might try to look away by making up some excuse."
"Right. Can you handle it properly when that happens?"
"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be alright... No, I'll definitely find a way to make it work!"
"...Okay, I understand. I'm counting on you."
So, I guess I'll just pretend to be sick and stay in bed... Would it be okay if I played video games or something?
"...If I ask you to at least make sure it's not found out, can you hide it properly? It would be a problem if you got so engrossed in the game that your fake illness was exposed, you know?"
"Please finish this as quickly as possible."
"Yeah, leave it to me!"
After that, I had Elsie turn invisible and then went ahead to the infirmary. I asked Elsie to "check on Keima, and if he collapses and is taken to the infirmary, bring Yui with you."
It's been quite a while since we've all been together, hasn't it? I'll be hiding in the corner and watching, so no one else will notice me.
After I hid in the infirmary for a while, Keima-kun came in being carried on the teacher's back.
He looked exhausted and pale; he didn't seem like he was faking it at all.
Or rather, I wonder if he's actually gotten sick? If so, it would be helpful in terms of strategy, but I'm also quite worried.
The teacher who brought Keima here has gone somewhere, so I could call out to him now...but maybe it's okay to wait. I don't want to do anything stupid and cause trouble.
A few more minutes passed, and then Elsie and Yui rushed in in a panic.
"K-Keima-sama!? What happened!?"
"...Yui, huh? Don't worry. She just collapsed from playing too many video games..."
"There's no way my brother would collapse just from playing a game!! Is he really okay!?"
"So there's no need to worry, cough cough."
"This is serious! We need a doctor immediately!"
"It's better not to call them. They might find out we've switched places..."
"But!!"
At that moment, the door burst open with a loud bang, and someone shoved Yui and Keima into the room.
Of course, it's Yui's mother. And there's also someone who looks like a butler accompanying her.
"Yui! Is it true that you collapsed!?"
Oh my goodness! What on earth is the school nurse doing?!
Okamoto, contact a doctor immediately. The one in the first block is a quack, so go to the one in the second block!!
Upon hearing the word "doctor," Yui raised her voice at her mother.
"Wait, Mother! No doctor!"
"Who says I'm your mother? That's enough, you maggots who are trying to get close to me!!"
"Oh, oh, I'm so sorry..."
Yui has incurred her mother's wrath and is about to be strangled to death.
It's okay not to stop this, right? Surely it's okay, right?
"Kyoko-sama, I think the priority right now is to take Yui-sama to the hospital."
"That's true. Hurry up!"
A man who looked like a butler stopped my mother from going on a rampage. I don't think he was helping us, but I'm grateful.
Keima was taken away, leaving only Yui lying on the floor and Elsie standing there in a daze.
I could just leave it and go home and wait, but maybe I should say something.
She untied the feathered robe she was wearing and called out to him.
"It looks like something terrible has happened."
"What, Mr. Nakagawa?! How long have you been here?!"
"Shouldn't we talk about what we're going to do next instead?"
Let's head home for now and have a strategy meeting."
"Huh? But what about the afternoon classes...?"
"You could probably skip it by saying you're sick. I won't stop you if you want to come in, though."
"Oh, is that so? But..."
...In the end, I attended classes before going home.
Honestly, it didn't really matter to me either way, so it's fine.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11 Determination
After finishing our afternoon classes and returning home, we immediately discussed our next steps.
"Keima-sama, are you alright? What if the truth about the switch is revealed...?"
"Unless something really unusual happens, I don't think it'll be found out. It's a far-fetched idea."
"More than that, I'm simply worried about Nii-sama's health. Nii-sama...at least in his original body, he never had any health problems..."
"...Perhaps you just didn't like living in the mansion?"
"Huh? Was the mansion really such a scary place...?"
"I wonder. What do you think, Yui?"
"Huh? Um, well..."
Yui hesitated.
Of course. It would obviously be a much more difficult environment to live in compared to her current life, and admitting that would mean admitting that she left Keima behind in that environment. The body swap itself was unavoidable, but I don't recall Yui ever being worried about Keima.
...Well, the fact that Keima can adapt so quickly to such an abnormal situation as switching bodies is what's abnormal, so this is just sophistry.
"...Yui, answer with yes or no. Was life in the mansion worse than it is now?"
"...Yes. Compared to life here, living in the mansion was difficult."
"I see. Okay, let's move on to the next question. If you could reverse this body swap right now, would you want to go back?"
"Ah! That's..."
This is not something that can be answered easily. If I go back, I'll be back at that mansion. If I don't go back, it means I'll be abandoning Keima.
"Hey, Yui. You want to continue living this fun life here, right? But you can't abandon Keima either."
But I can only choose one or the other. That's the problem. Right?
"...I'm sorry. You're right."
"There's nothing to apologize for."
But think about it: If I go back home, will I really not be able to have a fun life?
"No, that's impossible! As long as your mother is around, that's impossible!"
I can't enjoy warm, home-cooked meals or freely play the drums at that house!!
"Is that really true? I heard Keima was openly playing games in some big room somewhere."
"...Huh? Th-that can't be, there must be some mistake!"
Your mother would never allow something like that!!
"Yeah. Apparently, they almost took it away from him, but he managed to do something about it."
"W-what do you mean...? How did you do it!?"
"I haven't heard that far ahead, but... I think it might work out somehow?"
"Th-that's..."
Since Keima is actually able to go on a rampage, I think the only thing that's missing is Yui's resolve.
I can't really blame Yui, because I think it takes a lot of courage to defy that mother.
"...Let's put that aside for now. Right now, we need to decide what to do with Keima."
"Oh, that's right. I wonder if it's okay?"
"If the cause of your illness is the mansion, we need to do something to separate you from it, but do you have any ideas?"
"Even if you call it a proposal..."
"...This is definitely a matter between Keima and Yui, so I won't interfere."
But if you need my help, please let me know anytime. Think about it carefully."
With those words, I left the room.
The quickest and easiest way would be to kidnap Keima, but I think it's better if I don't say that.
I want Yui to choose to defy her mother of her own free will.
"Are you alright, Yui? The princess seemed rather frightening today..."
"...I feel like that person was trying to tell me something important."
I don't really know what that is...
"Is that so? Hmm..."
What should I do...?
For now...
"...I would like to talk to Keima-sama."
...the next day...
I headed to the mansion after classes ended in order to meet and talk with Keima-sama, who hadn't even come to school.
But...
"Please, let me see Yui!!"
"Who says I'll let you meet them! Get out of here, you little brat!!"
They literally turned me away at the door. They wouldn't even listen to what I had to say properly.
How is she feeling? She hasn't been coming to school, so I assume she's not feeling well. I'm very worried.
"...I'll come back later"
"Don't come here again!!"
...two days later...
Keima didn't come to school again today.
I really want to meet you today, but...it's unlikely to work out if I go straight to you like I did yesterday.
So, I think I'll try to go there the moment Keima-sama leaves to go to the hospital. That way, I'll at least be able to see his face.
I hid in the shadows for several minutes, and then the gate opened. It seemed that my mother and Keima were also inside, surrounded by several attendants.
I really want to talk to you today. I'm coming!!
"Keima sa mogog"
I was captured so easily...
He's truly our excellent bodyguard. Though, I wish he'd restrain himself just for now.
"It's you again, you cockroach! Stay away from Yui!!"
Come on, hurry up and get them out!!
Keima's mother is always by his side.
To have a proper conversation, you'll need to do something about your mother.
Will things somehow... work out...?
I tried visiting them directly yesterday, but it was a failure.
Even though I timed my visit carefully today, I still failed miserably.
It seems impossible using simple methods. So what should we do...?
Should we just sneak in in the middle of the night? No, if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just take her out?
...But if I did that, my mother would definitely use all of the Goido family's resources to pursue me. There's no way I can defy my mother...
...Wait, is it really impossible?
Now that you mention it, Mr. Nakagawa did say that Mr. Keima was freely playing games in that mansion...
Will it somehow work out?
Wait a minute... Has he always managed to get away with it? Has he ever been able to defy his mother?
Is it... my fault? If I had done things properly, would both I and Keima-sama have been spared from suffering?
...In that case, I guess I have to do something about it.
"Are you done thinking about that?"
"Whoa! Is that... Mr. Nakagawa?!"
Mr. Nakagawa suddenly called out to me.
Actually, this is the room I'm using... so when exactly did you arrive?
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you, but... you looked kind of happy."
I think he might have come up with something."
"...Yes. I intend to take Keima-sama out of that mansion."
"That's quite a bold move. Are you sure you'll be alright doing something like that? That mother of yours might chase you to the ends of hell."
"It's alright. I'll make sure your mother gives up on the idea."
"...Yeah. You really have a good expression now."
"Um, Mr. Nakagawa? Did you perhaps know about this from the beginning...?"
"Well then, I suppose I'll give it a try."
It's impossible to take down that mansion alone, right? I'll call Elsie too!!"
"Hey, wait a minute!!"
She abruptly ended the conversation and left, trying to gloss over the issue. Who exactly is she...?
...No, let's focus on dealing with Keima-sama for now. I will definitely save him.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Another Epilogue and its Analysis
A plan to kidnap Keima, devised by Yui, has been put into motion.
Oh, that's a relief. If time had just dragged on any longer, I would have had to say something myself. According to Elsie, who checks on him regularly, he really did seem to be feeling unwell.
It seems like the timing is a little too convenient, but did he drink some kind of poison? Keima is capable of doing something like that.
So, right now we're standing in front of the Goido family's mansion.
I think it's better to do it sooner rather than later, but is it really okay to do it without making a proper plan?
Well, I guess things will work out if Elsie makes use of her feathered robe.
Just when I thought I'd managed to force my way through a random back door, an alarm blared and security guards swarmed out.
"There's an intruder! I'll report you, ma'am!"
"W-what's with these guys cheering us on, ugh!"
And Elsie takes them down.
"Come on, your brother is over there! Let's hurry!!"
"Y-yes..."
Is this a realistic depiction of a kidnapping? I have a feeling it's not.
...Well, whatever. As long as I can beat it, that's fine.
I dodged the approaching security guards, went up and down the stairs, and turned many times down the corridors before finally reaching Keima's room.
It's not that the mansion's structure is complicated... I think Elsie just took a wrong turn. Probably.
"We've arrived! This is it!"
"Keima-sama!!"
Yui rushed into the room. There she found Keima and her mother.
"Y-you! Why are you here?!"
"...Excuse me."
Yui ignores her mother and walks towards Keima.
"Keima-sama, are you alright? I've come to help you."
"Haha, looks like you caused quite a ruckus."
...thank you"
What an emotional reunion. Now that you mention it, it's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?
If the kidnapping plan is to be completed, it would be better to just run away quickly instead of lingering in a long conversation, but I don't think that's necessary.
What's actually needed is...
"You tick-man! Let go of the rope!!"
"No! I won't follow your orders anymore!!"
What's needed is... a conversation with the mother, who could be seen as a symbol of the source of the void in her heart.
No, rather than dialogue, maybe it's more like destruction?
"I should have said something sooner. If I had, neither I nor Keima-sama would have had to suffer."
But I won't hesitate anymore. I won't be afraid. I won't run away.
Mother, you're the one who should stay away from Yui.
My life is my own! I'm the one who decides it, and no one else!!
When Yui unilaterally declared that, change occurred.
The atmosphere between Yui and Keima changes.
Then, a viscous, runaway spirit emerged from Yui's body.
"Alright, I'm back!!"
"Elsie! Guide the runaway soul to a place where it won't be interrupted! We'll go with you!!"
"I got it!!"
Elsie guides the runaway souls, carrying us up to the roof.
This is a place you can't get to without bringing a ladder. I think I can probably sing the whole song here.
"Barrier deployed! Please proceed, Princess!!"
"Yeah!!"
That's the end of it.
As usual, I eliminated the runaway souls, and my strategy was complete.
The next day, on the school rooftop during lunchtime.
"Wow, this was really tough."
"Absolutely. I never imagined Keima and Yui would switch places."
"It wasn't as big a deal as I thought once I actually experienced it. My poor performance was mainly due to the runaway spirits."
"Well, as expected of Keima-kun. I mean... he's on a different level."
"Of course! After all, I'm the god of conquest!"
"As expected of a god! So cool!!"
"Hmm, but in a way, it's fortunate that only our bodies, or rather, our personalities, were swapped."
If the gender of their personality had changed along with their physical body, it would have been impossible to manage."
"That's... a problem."
"Well, I suppose it might have been possible if the runaway soul had a higher level of soul power."
"Huh? Level?"
"Huh? Yes. That runaway soul had a soul level of about 2, but if it had been 3 or 4, maybe that would have happened..."
"No, that's not the point. The concept of levels hasn't even been explained yet, has it?"
"I kind of understand what it means, but that's only level 2? Are even more incredible phenomena going to happen!?"
"Huh? Oh, don't worry. There aren't that many runaway souls with a soul level of 3 or higher. It's just a classification."
"...At this rate, it seems like there might be something else I've forgotten to mention."
"There seem to be tons of them..."
"No, no way! Please believe me!!"
"I believe you. In a bad way."
"That's awful, both of you!!"
"Well, you know, the explanation of how to win her over was just insufficient, right? I filled the void in her heart without even kissing her."
" I had a vague idea that there were other methods, since he said that romance is good for filling the void in your heart, but..."one(・)No.(・)
"That's true, but...it's the best way, so what's wrong with it!"
"...That's certainly true...I think it's the ideal method, but..."
"Yeah, I guess the basic strategy will continue to be to win them over through romance."
"That's right. I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Oh, the pleasure was all mine."