The Strongest Onmyoji and the Shikigami With AI are Unparalleled in Another World ~ A Second Life Properly Enjoyed Using Artificial Intelligence ~ - Chapter 225

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Nya!”

Tama-chan jumped down from Ai-chan’s head, landing lightly on the ground, and descended just one step of the staircase.

Then, turning to face us, she lifted a front paw as if to say “Follow me.”

“This little thing’s so full of herself.”

“Well, she is a princess, after all. At the dorm—especially with Pamela-san around—she’s completely at the center of everyone’s lives. No matter what kind of mischief Tama-chan pulls, everyone just smiles and says, ‘Oh well, it can’t be helped~’.”

So basically, the women in the guild never bothered disciplining her, huh?

“Hey, Tama-chan. Lead the way.”

“Nya-nya-nya… nya!”

…Oi.
Did she just scoff through her nose?

“What’d she say?”

“Something about chasing women’s butts—ah, no, never mind. She said ‘Yes, my lord.’”

No, she absolutely did not.

Tama-chan started descending the stairs, and we followed behind her.

At the bottom, she raised her tail high and began sniffing along the floor as she walked.

“Huh? Is her tail… split in two?”

Lily tilted her head curiously.

“She’s a nekomata. A type of youkai.”

“Oooh, so cute!”

Don’t spoil her…

“Hey Ai-chan, is she actually reliable?”

“I believe so. If I fully transform into my youkai form, I could do the same.”

“You’d turn into a fox?”

“Yes! Just like mother!”

…Isn’t that the giant fox spirit that left a massive crater in the plains?

Don’t you go turning into that in this labyrinth.

“I think you’re plenty cute as you are now.”

“Well, of course I am!”

Ai-chan proudly popped out fox ears and a fluffy tail, then stuck out her chest in triumph.

“Nya-nya-nya.”

Hmm?

“What’s she saying now?”

“She says there’s a trap here. If someone steps on it, a zombie will appear behind us.”

Hoh…

“You think she’s telling the truth?”

“Who knows? Should we test it? It’s just a zombie—we can handle that.”

“Go ahead.”

“Understood.”

Ai-chan stepped forward and pressed the floor in front of Tama-chan.

…Nothing happened.

“Hmm? Nothing… Koma-chan, go!”

I sensed a surge of magic behind us, so I gave the order to Koma-chan, who was guarding the rear.

At that moment, a zombie came rushing toward us—
—and Koma-chan charged to intercept it.

“Koma-chan!” Annie, cried out.

But Koma-chan charged forward at full speed and tackled the zombie head-on.

The zombie took a direct hit to the gut and was launched backward, vanishing from sight.

Without missing a beat, Koma-chan dashed after it.

“Koma-chan! Don’t go eating anything weird!”

Annie called out to stop her.

Well yeah, no one wants to see their beloved dog munching on zombies.

“No need to worry, Annie-san. Enemy presence has disappeared. That man-eating zombie—or rather, ghoul—was taken out in a single blow.”

So those sprinting zombies are actually called ghouls, huh?

“Oh, she’s coming back!”

Just like Lily said, Koma-chan came trotting back.

She sat obediently at Annie’s feet and gently placed the magic stone she’d been holding in her mouth into Annie’s hands.

“Good girl, good girl. But don’t you ever turn into something like that giant centipede, okay?”

Annie gave Koma-chan a thorough head-pat as she accepted the stone.

“Women and kids really do love their dogs and cats…”

And meanwhile, look how much everyone hates poor Big Centipede-chan.

Well, to be fair, she doesn’t exactly listen and tends to go around eating things…

“Well, that’s to be expected. I mean, regardless of age or gender, there aren’t many people who’d say they prefer bugs. Especially when they’re, you know… massive.”

Yeah… Koma-chan and Tama-chan are still within the ‘normal’ range.

But the bugs…

Now that I think about it, Bee-san and Big Spider-chan would probably be fine with everyone too—if only they were tiny.

“I see… I don’t mind either, personally. I’d love to show you the rhinoceros beetles I caught as a kid.”

My little brother totally lost his mind over them.

“Rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles are kind of in a different category, I think… But don’t worry! Everyone loves foxes!”

Ai-chan struck a confident pose, hands on her hips, proudly puffing out her chest as her ears twitched adorably.

“Nya-nya…”

“Foxes are better hunters, you know!”

Aaand here we go again… they’re fighting already.

Do foxes and cats not get along?

“Nya-nya-nyaa!”

Tama-chan looked over at me… and she was definitely laughing.

“That’s not the kind of ‘hunting’ we meant! Honestly, you’re Master’s shikigami—you shouldn’t be making fun of him!”

“Nya-nya.”

“Huh? Well… I mean, that’s true, but…”

What kind of conversation is this…?

“Whatever, let’s just keep moving. Anyway, I get that you can detect traps now, so I’m counting on you from here on out.”

“Nya!”

“She says, ‘Leave it to me-nyan!’”

Yeah, even I understood that much.

Stop fighting and just translate the parts I don’t get…

With Tama-chan in the lead, we moved forward.

Eventually, we reached the same fork in the path we’d come to yesterday.

“Nya?”

Tama-chan looked back over her shoulder at Ai-chan.

“That way.”

“Nya.”

Tama-chan took the left path, and we followed.

“Tama-chan, stop.”

“Nya?”

“There’s a monster.”

“Nya-nya?”

Yeah… I’ve got no clue what that meant.

“What’d she say?”

“She’s asking if she should take care of it. Says she can either slash it with her claws or just lick it up-peh.”

“It’s a ghoul, you know?”

“Nya.”

Tama-chan backed up, then leapt lightly into Natalia’s arms.

“…This cat’s definitely picking the easiest targets,”

I had to admit, I kind of understood what Alice meant.

“I’m not easy at all!”

“Nyaa?”

Tama-chan tilted her head, looking up at Natalia.

“Oh, how cute.”

Natalia smiled warmly.

“I don’t think I’m going to like that little furball very much…”

Way too calculating.

“Well, Tama-chan’s doing her best for Master in her own way…”

What even is that supposed to mean?

“Anyway, here it comes. Alice, aim for its legs with Air Cutter. Then Annie, set it on fire.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s do this…”

As the two raised their staffs, a ghoul came running from the depths.

“…Air Cutter!”

A blade of wind from Alice struck the ghoul’s legs, causing it to lose balance and lurch forward.

“Flames, now!”

A moment later, Annie unleashed her magic, igniting the fallen ghoul.

Though the ghoul writhed and crawled toward us while ablaze, it finally collapsed with a thud, turning into smoke and vanishing.

“Oh, it dropped something other than a magic stone.”

Ai-chan approached where the ghoul had fallen and crouched down.

“What is it?”

“Looks like a necklace.”

Ai-chan returned and handed it over.

“Hmm…”

The pendant held a blue gemstone, and it looked pretty valuable.

“It’s beautiful.”

Annie peeked over to take a look.

“You want it?”

“No thanks. It’s way too unlucky.”

Yeah… I thought so too.

Something left behind by someone who’d fallen halfway through the labyrinth—
and dropped by a man-eating zombie…

I wouldn’t want to gift that to anyone either.