Don't Lay Hands on My Guests

"You're getting nosebleeds? You two are so pathetic!" Suzumiya Haruhi said, running over with a swim ring, a slight frown on her face as she looked at the two boys covering their noses. She had clearly misunderstood something...

In the sunlight, tiny water droplets clung to the girl's fair, smooth skin. Her perfectly toned body complemented the swimsuit she wore.

"Looks like I have good taste," Jiu Ming muttered, not hiding his gaze on the girl. It was purely for appreciation...

"Are you flattering me?" The girl, who had been frowning, broke into a smile. She couldn't help but put her hands on her hips, exuding youthful vitality.

"No, I meant the swimsuit."

Snap!

A clear cross-shaped bump appeared on Suzumiya Haruhi's forehead. "Serves you right for being single until you die!"

"You're actually right about that. I'll probably be single until I die," Jiu Ming said, not shying away from the topic. He even made a joke about himself. He hadn't really interacted with many people of the opposite sex, besides his family and a few nurses.

"Stop rambling!" Suzumiya Haruhi glared angrily at the two boxes beside her. She ignored the beer and picked up a can of beverage, opening it and taking a big gulp. With a few gulps, before Kyon could even stop her, half the can was gone.

"Hey, hey, drinking too much of that will give you nosebleeds..."

"Ahaha~ This is delicious!" Her eyes lit up. Clearly, the girl had taken a liking to the energizing drink. Hearing Kyon's words, she turned her head, looking at him with disdain. "Stop making excuses for your youthful restlessness."

Kyon sighed powerlessly. Am I just an ordinary person?

Why is Suzumiya Haruhi completely fine!

Her energy restored, Suzumiya Haruhi quickly put her earlier displeasure behind her and ran back to the beach, resuming her "bullying" of the weak, busty girl.

Seeing this, Jiu Ming couldn't help but mutter, "Youth is truly wonderful."

"Aren't you going to drink?" Seeing Jiu Ming squinting his eyes and leisurely sunbathing, Kyon and Itsuki Koizumi felt a strange sense of dissonance. Ghosts should be afraid of sunlight, right?

But he looked like he was enjoying himself. Who was he kidding?!

"Oh, right. Ghosts probably can't eat," Kyon quickly added, after Jiu Ming had given him a look of disdain. He had been teased so many times. "They can probably just smell things, right?"

"Who told you that nonsense?" Jiu Ming shot him a look and said sourly. He really couldn't eat. The idea of just smelling things like a ghost meant he couldn't eat, making him seem less like a ghost.

After a while of nosebleeds, the two men finally recovered. "Phew, that's better. I still feel like the atmosphere at a public beach is better."

"It's because there are too few people," Itsuki Koizumi said with a smile next to Kyon, paying a little attention to Jiu Ming's expression.

"En... I wouldn't refuse if you could bring more people," Jiu Ming said, noticing his expression and waving his hand. "It's pretty empty here usually anyway..."

"Sounds like a lonely declaration?" Kyon muttered. "If there were more people."

"It's fine. Anyway, you're paying the 'ticket' to come here, so I won't lose anything," Jiu Ming's reply left Kyon stunned for a moment, his mouth slightly agape. Come to think of it, that was true!

This place wasn't like someone's home, where you could visit and play around without any worries. Coming here required paying a certain... 'source' for something he didn't know.

"Speaking of which, I'm still a bit confused about this 'Origin' you mentioned. How does it work?"

"Origin... The Origin Power of all things falls within this scope." Seeing Kyon's confused expression, Jiu Ming waved his hand. "You have to understand it through comprehension. Also, if you want to get this thing, I'll give you a tip: find a power station and put that Invitation Card there. Maybe you can steal electricity to convert it."

"Hey! Inciting someone to commit a crime is wrong!"

"En! I've decided, this will be our main base during the summer vacation! My vice-regiment leader, can you change the scene?"

"Vice-regiment leader... What is that?" Jiu Ming shook his head. "Can't change it. At least not today. Also, for you guys, the cost of coming here once should be quite high, so don't be too extravagant... Alright, consider me talking nonsense!"

The reason was simple: Jiu Ming saw that when Suzumiya Haruhi took out the Invitation Card, the numbers on it suddenly jumped. It didn't jump much, but he could tell that if Suzumiya Haruhi wanted to, she could max out the card!

"What cost? The numbers on it seem to be whatever this Regiment Leader wants."

Jiu Ming's mouth twitched fiercely. "En, cough, cough, anyway, don't exceed three digits for the maximum value, or this card will explode."

Having no choice, Jiu Ming quickly found an excuse and sincerely praised her, "You're amazing!"

Hmph, with her arms crossed, Suzumiya Haruhi smiled with great pleasure. Before she could speak, a 'World Crossing Gate' suddenly appeared in an empty space.

Along with a hundred points of 'Turnover', a figure Jiu Ming was very familiar with walked out. The familiar blonde hair. This time, she finally didn't come with malice. However, coming back after such a short interval, Jiu Ming guessed that Yakumo Yukari was just testing the efficacy of this Invitation Card.

"Heh, has the little Shopkeeper moved?" Yakumo Yukari looked around with slight surprise. The scene here was different from the last time she saw it.

"How could that be? We're just changing the location to let the guests relax here." Jiu Ming smiled slightly and took two steps forward, subtly blocking in front of Suzumiya Haruhi and the others. It seemed the Mysterious Shop didn't have protection measures against guests attacking each other.

Humans? Yakumo Yukari's eyes narrowed slightly. Her gaze bypassed Jiu Ming and scanned Suzumiya Haruhi and the others. A sinister smile appeared on her lips. However, when she saw Suzumiya Haruhi and Nagato Yuki, a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes. These two little girls were a bit strange.

"Be careful, the girl in front of you is not simple." Noticing Jiu Ming's actions, Itsuki Koizumi, who hadn't spoken much until now, retracted the smile he had been maintaining and said to Kyon. Her sudden sinister smile made him feel a chill all over his body.

"En?" Kyon was confused. Not simple? Is she well-endowed? Cough!

"Don't you see that the usually relaxed and lazy Shopkeeper here has become serious?" Itsuki Koizumi whispered to Kyon, his voice very low. Apart from the taciturn Nagato Yuki and Kyon, Suzumiya Haruhi and Asahina Mikuru didn't hear him.

If these two heard it, they might start arguing without restraint. As for the latter... she could just be treated as a cute thing!

"!? You're right." Kyon carefully looked at Jiu Ming's back. The drowsy aura that had infected everyone around him just now had been replaced by seriousness.

Judging by his stance, he seemed to be protecting this place? For some reason, when Kyon looked at the voluptuous girl who had suddenly arrived, he felt an immense pressure, as if he were facing his nemesis. He faintly heard terrifying roars in his ears, like countless people wailing before their deaths.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead... Am I going to die!?

Kyon, stiff all over, couldn't help but think this.

"Cough, don't smash my potential customers."

With a light cough, the roars in Kyon's ears instantly vanished. Losing his ability to move, he returned to himself. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Kyon felt an urge to lie on the ground and gasp for air. Looking at Itsuki Koizumi, he wasn't much better. As for Mikuru-senpai, she had already collapsed on the ground in fright.

The normal ones were Nagato Yuki, the serious-faced Jiu Ming, and Suzumiya Haruhi, who was looking at them in a strange state.

"Why did the three of you suddenly become dazed and sweaty just now? Did you get heatstroke?"

What a dense guy, Kyon thought with a wry smile, his gaze shifting to Jiu Ming, who had just spoken.

"Mental Defense constructed. This situation won't happen again," Nagato Yuki suddenly said as he hesitated on what to say.

"Little shopkeeper, do you think it's worth offending me for a few ordinary humans?" Yakumo Yukari stared directly at Jiu Ming with a cold laugh that sent Suzumiya Haruhi and the others shivering.

Suzumiya Haruhi also seemed to realize something and fell unusually silent.

"It was just a tiny bit of aura, and they were already scared like this. Do you think they're worth caring about?"

A tiny bit of aura... Kyon's mouth twitched. Hey, hey, are you bragging? Okay, if it was real, then you could have scared me to death just now!?

Who exactly is this girl!? She's too dangerous.

"Since you're not a hostile guest, I have an obligation to ensure their personal safety!" Jiu Ming retorted without fear.

"Oh? Including me?"

"If anyone here can threaten you, then of course I will!" Jiu Ming answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Heh heh." Yakumo Yukari produced a folding fan from somewhere and lightly covered her mouth as she smiled inexplicably. "You're still too weak, little shopkeeper. Take care of yourself."

After giving Suzumiya Haruhi and the others a look that said you're lucky, she walked back into the door that hadn't yet closed. This time, she had come here to test the effect of the Invitation Card.

"Hoo... Who was that?" Taking a long breath, Kyon helped Asahina Mikuru, who had collapsed on the ground, up and asked with lingering fear.

"Who was that big-breasted woman?" Suzumiya Haruhi asked almost simultaneously with Kyon.

"A demon from another world. She seems to dislike humans," Jiu Ming explained, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Demon!?"

"...Don't get your eyes lit up. She's the type that kills and eats people. Don't look so cute." Seeing Suzumiya Haruhi about to jump up, Jiu Ming's mouth twitched, and he reached out to push her back down. "She's very ferocious."

And how! The first time we met, she almost killed me without a word. Anyone else would be reincarnated by now.