TBCTW Chapter 18

(M) Chapter 18 – “Perfect”

Chapter 7, Part 1

Novel Title: 獣はかくしてまぐわう (The Beasts Copulate This Way)

Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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The Eleventh Floor of the Invincible Castle – Kilik’s Room.

In the plush crimson U-shaped sofa placed there, Kagura sat at a slight distance from Kiriyama. On the low table lay champagne, vibrantly coloured pinchos, and an assortment of sliced fruit arranged as if it were a cake.  

“Not to your taste?”  

Sitting deep into the sofa, Kagura idly rolled a skewer of hors d’oeuvres between his fingers as he replied.  

“I’m not into nibbling on things like this. I’d prefer if they just served a whole cake.”  

Kiriyama, legs crossed and a champagne glass in hand, was dressed in a shirt, vest, and slacks, with a black goat mask covering his face. The room’s Gothic interior amplified the surreal, horror-movie-like atmosphere.  

“In that case, I’ll prepare a whole cake for Christmas Eve.”  

Christmas Eve was always a day lost to work, ending with year-end exhaustion as the standard routine. Yet the thought of spending a dreary Christmas Eve with Kiriyama seemed even worse. Preferring not to dwell on it, Kagura didn’t answer, prompting Kiriyama to ask.  

“Or is there someone else you’d rather spend it with?”  

“Who knows.”  

“For instance, that guy you came here with last time.”  

Beneath his sheep mask, Kagura stiffened involuntarily, responding in an even tone.  

“That man has nothing to do with this.”  

Kiriyama set down his glass and stood, moving to sit right beside Kagura.  

Leaning close enough for his breath to graze Kagura’s ear, he whispered, so faint it was barely audible.  

“Zero of Enwu.”  

It struck Kagura like a hand gripping his heart, squeezing tightly.  

“A criminal investigation officer shouldn’t be associating with someone like him.”  

When Kagura tried to brush off the hand running through his hair, his right wrist was caught.  

“Your pulse is racing.”  

“…Is this your attempt at fishing for information?”  

“Did you know Zero’s maternal grandfather was a death row inmate?”  

The blood drained from Kagura’s face, and a sharp flicker ignited at the back of his mind.  

―――Kiriyama knows.

He knows that Zero leads Enwu. He knows his origins and his past.  

And if Kiriyama so desired, he could utterly destroy Enwu under Zero’s control. He was a man equipped with both the authority and the cold resolve to do so.  

“There’s a tainted bloodline flowing through that man. He’ll never stand with you in the light. In the end, he’ll vanish into the darkness and disappear from your life.”  

Kiriyama’s words, spoken like a prophecy, grated on Kagura’s nerves.  

―――Our bond isn’t that shallow.

They were allies united in their goal to dismantle the Eastern Alliance.  

Once they succeeded, Kagura could finally lay his cousin to rest, and Zero would be one step closer to protecting the undocumented children lost in the shadows.  

―――That’s what we’re aiming for.

Their objectives were clear, yet his emotions remained unsettled. The source of his unease was elusive.  

As he tried to discern its nature, Kiriyama grabbed his shoulder and pushed him down. Kagura’s body fell back onto the sofa.  

From beneath the black goat mask, a muffled voice descended upon him.  

“You’re something that should be offered to me.”

It was only now that Kagura fully realised the meaning behind their masks.  

The black goat symbolised the devil, and the sheep was its sacrificial offering.  

His tie was pulled free. The buttons of his dress shirt were undone one by one. The hem of his shirt was tugged out from his slacks, and the inner shirt was lifted to expose his skin.  

Kagura couldn’t move.  

He wanted to shove Kiriyama off him, to strike him, but Kiriyama knew everything about Zero and Enwu. He held complete control over the situation. If Kagura rejected Kiriyama here, what would happen?  

―――Everything Zero has protected would be destroyed…

That fear bound Kagura’s body like chains.  

Kiriyama stared at his exposed chest. The sensation of his gaze was unsettling, as though a chameleon’s tongue were flicking against his skin.  

<Click here to read the rest of the Mature Chapter on my blog in order to adhere to novels.space’s rules.>

The sight, paired with the overwhelming discomfort, was something Kagura knew he’d never forget. The thought of this memory being etched into him, leaving Kiriyama’s mark, filled him with fury.  

His brows knitted tightly, his cheeks twitched, and he bit hard on the inside of his lower lip.  

Seeing Kagura’s expression, Kiriyama’s eyes, gleaming with lust beneath the Zorro mask, seemed to burn brighter.  

“…”  

Perhaps it was the mask and those black, endless eyes that triggered a mental connection to Zero.  

Deep within his chest, a small spark flickered briefly.  

Realising this horrified Kagura to his core, and he instinctively closed his eyes. It was a small act of surrender to Kiriyama, but he couldn’t help it.  

For the nearly hour-long ordeal during which Kiriyama toyed with his chest, Kagura kept his eyes shut, focusing only on the shivers of revulsion coursing through him.  

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*Translator’s Note: Illustration 4 is NSFW. It’s available for view on my blog. -K

Next update: 2025.10.27

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